Panorama
by Charlien
Summary: Alfons wants to take Edward out on a date, and Edward takes interest in the cinema as one of the movies has a disturbing title he is certain has a connection to his world. Together they travel to uncover the truth behind the scenes. Drama, yaoi, Ed x Hei
1. The One Unable to Love

**Panorama**

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_A/N: This story is written for the FMA Big Bang Challenge on LJ. Big thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Aevium, for always sticking up for me!_

_The story is not completely historically accurate, but it is based upon the knowledge of a German series of six episodes from 1916 called Homunculus. Most of the series is lost to the world, only episode 4 exists as full, and bits and pieces of a couple of the others. I haven't seen it, but Arakawa-san might have had this German fable in mind when she developed Fullmetal Alchemist._

_Warnings: Sexual situations, violence and awkward madness._

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: The One Unable to Love**

--

It had started to rain heavily, only one of the many privileges this time of the year brought the city of Munich, Germany. Likely one of the many places in Western Europe where there could be sun one minute and a cold rainy storm the next.

Alfons Heiderich bypassed some small shops, and people were trotting hastily by in attempts to escape the rain while hiding underneath large umbrellas in all fancy colours. The people of Munich seemed always to be engrossed with using their time to the fullest, no matter how hard the sky was falling down on them. The war was over, the prices were ridiculous, but what did people do? They moved on. Went on with their normal lives and continued thinking forward towards better times, while still treasuring the memories of the people they had tragically lost in the trenches. The predictions of a new war were preposterous.

Sheltering himself underneath today's newspaper, he hurried down the main street. The front page was covered with promises of a better future from the popular national socialist party. The paper had started to become moist and he hoped it would hold, at least until he reached home. He was on his way from the factory, it was Friday, and he had been told to take the weekend off for once. He was sure they had said it because of his coughing, although he had tried to make that matter as discreet as possible but his efforts had been futile.

_Do something fun and relax_, they had said.

_Fun?_ Alfons had scoffed. _Like that might happen._

It would probably be just a couple of normal days at home in the small apartment he shared with a certain blond and capricious mathematical prodigy, who had taken too much of a liking to alcohol lately. Alfons doubted his own feeble body would agree to any drinking nights this time. However, he looked forward to be relaxing with his roommate, unless this said roommate wasn't too engaged with his own current occupation. Maybe he should rather take the time to do some cleaning around the apartment; it had been a couple of months since last time.

The thought of trying to get Edward to start cleaning again made his lips trickle into a smile. He would simply 'sweep the floor with a glance' and then say: "You've always wanted a cat, what do cats have that dust bunnies don't?"

Stubborn as they both were, the other always had to contribute.

"Cats are way healthier!"

"It's clean enough here to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy."

"Nobody likes dirt, or maybe you do?"

"Dirt is underestimated. Just look at the dust bunnies, they're almost like guard dogs keeping everything else out." Edward grinned.

Alfons crossed his arms. "Your jokes are awful and they will _not_ help you escape from helping me out." He received a disgruntled noise for reply.

Then Edward did the most unbelievable thing. He went down on his knees by the sofa and lifted up a small ball of dust in his hand and held it up for Alfons to see, with a ridiculously cute look in his large golden eyes. "Look at it, do you really have a heart to murder this little creature?" He petted it. "We could name it Dustin."

"You're hopeless!"

"See, Dustin, he's calling us hopeless now. Did you hear that, Alfons? He says you're stupid and mean."

"You can't even return a fair argument."

No matter how ludicrous his arguments with Edward got, they always ended up with Alfons giving up trying to win vocally. Still, he always got his way in practice.

Edward had carelessly whipped the mop around the floor with too much soap, even washing the windows with it, and he was probably the only person in the world who could make cleaning a fun social activity just by that.

Speaking of fun social activities, Alfons decided that he really wanted to do something together with Edward this weekend. Just the two of them. Perhaps something they didn't usually do.

He reached Miss Gracia's flower shop and continued up the stairs to the apartment they rented on the 3rd floor. The front page on his newspaper had become so stained from the rain that the ink of the headlines had become blurry and spread out into a disastrous mayhem. He disposed of it on the floor and wrung off his wet coat. Using only a newspaper as an umbrella hadn't been all that effective in keeping him dry. "I'm home," he called out softly out in space.

"About time," a voice called back. It came from the kitchen.

Alfons stepped down the hall and turned right, facing the doorway into the kitchen. And there stood a smaller young man with long blond hair in the same colour as the nonexistent sun, bound up in a ponytail. He had his back towards Alfons, hunched over the counter seemingly reading a book while frying sausages in the frying pan. Edward could read a book in the most bizarre places and in the most unfitting situations. His devotion to books was like a moth drawn towards a lit candle. In contradiction to that, Edward Elric _willingly_ working in the kitchen was an undeniably _rare_ sight.

"Are you making dinner?" Alfons asked baffled.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the eighteen-year-old retorted. "I knew you'd be home late, and I was hungry."

Alfons crossed his arms and smirked. Typical Edward, trying to make it sound like he didn't do anything to make his roommate happy. Even if Alfons was one year younger he was usually the one in charge of house work in general, not only cleaning. Although, he was hungry too so he was glad that Edward had already started. "So, do you need any help?"

Edward finally turned around, looking up from the book and the stove, and his large amber eyes observed him neatly. "Just hang around," he said in a light tone. "It's been kind of quiet around here without you."

"You could've come too, you know," Alfons said. "The guys like it when you help out."

"I could've, I know. But I needed to..." his words trailed off. His intention might never have been to finish the sentence in the first place.

Alfons drew closer to him, so close that their bodies almost clashed. "I've missed you today," he murmured and curved his head down. He nibbled softly at the other's lips as his palms rested suitably around Edward's waist, his lips feeling soft and comfortable, like woven velvet. The kiss was light and testing, almost a little teasing even. Alfons pulled back slowly and got the privilege to see how a light reddish blush spread out on Edward's cheeks from his nose.

He quickly turned back to the frying pan. "Shit, this stuff is getting burned!"

Alfons sighed through a smile. "It's probably fine."

They both stared down at the coal black half side of several sausages which had used to be a meaty pink.

"Or not," Edward muttered.

"Maybe we could go out or something instead," Alfons suggested. "The guys told me to take the rest of the week off, so I don't have to go to bed early."

"Ah, really? That's good, you do need some rest," Edward stated with his arms crossed.

"I'm too restless to rest," Alfons contradicted. "Instead we should _do_ something."

"What about your coughing?"

"It's fine, as good as over! And I don't want to stay locked inside the house for the rest of the week."

"Fine, fine," Edward said. "What do you have in mind then?"

Alfons wondered how to put it. Would Edward even agree to it at all? He was probably one of the most non-amorous people alive. He clearly could not tell the difference between a romantic dinner and a slice of bread with a burnt sausage to go with it.

"I thought that maybe... we could go on a... eh..."

"On a what?"

"You know, like... a date."

"Date?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

"That's what couples do sometimes, right?" Alfons pointed out. "We've never had one."

"Because, two guys usually don't do that stuff," Edward reasoned.

"That's true, but... it wouldn't be that obvious, would it? It could be like two friends hanging out for all other people care."

"But it's pouring down out there." Edward looked away towards the kitchen window, looking uncomfortable. "My arm turns quite ineffective and hurts when it's raining, and I still don't believe you when you say your cough has gone away."

Alfons hesitated by the mention of Edward's arm. He was right about that. They couldn't risk the prosthetics too much since they couldn't exactly go and buy new ones in an everyday grocery store. "We can wait for the rain to calm down, or bring umbrellas, or wait until tomorrow," he said instead, still trying to contain his enthusiasm. "It seems to have calmed down already since I came in, so maybe it'll stop soon." He really wanted to go, but if Edward kept having something against going out he would let the subject down and just let him continue reading his obsession. Maybe he could take a walk alone somewhere instead, but there was no way that thought didn't make him feel gloomy.

"Alright," Edward said.

Alfons could hardly believe his own ears. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?" Edward shrugged. "We could go get drunk somewhere and then—"

"No, no," Alfons shot in. "No getting drunk."

Edward stared at him like he was crazy. "Then... what do people do out on dates?"

"Eat dinner, hang out, watch a movie at the cinema perhaps," Alfons suggested.

"Can we afford something like that?" Edward emphasized. "I've heard it costs a lot to get in to see those things."

"It's not that bad," Alfons reassured. "Why don't you just pick a movie from the newspaper while I take a short shower? I left the paper in the hall. What's left of it, that is." He felt really excited and couldn't help the bright smile spreading across his own face.

"Alright," Edward scoffed. "I've never seen one before, so."

"Never?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Well, because..." Edward beamed softly. "We don't have that sort of thing in my world."

"Ah..." Alfons said. "I see."

While Alfons went into the bedroom to find some fresh clothes, Edward dropped to his knees by the moistened newspaper and tried to carefully keep the thing together with his prosthetic metal hand, while turning the sticky pages with the flesh one. The back of the newspaper was a little drier, and he skimmed through small articles, reviews and commercials. And there was a list of movies to be seen at the cinema in Munich for the weekend. None of the titles seemed very appealing to Edward, except the last one. He had to read the word several times before he was certain it was really there. His eyes widened a little and his flesh hand shook slightly in anticipation.

"Alfons!" he called, standing up abruptly while clutching the newspaper.

Alfons came out of the bedroom only dressed in his trousers, startled by the sound of his roommate's voice and gave him a questioning look. Why had he sounded so strange all of a sudden?

"What is it?"

Edward pointed at a spot on the newspaper with an unreadable look in his eyes, and Alfons stepped closer to see. As he read the title, he understood why Edward had reacted.

"I didn't think something from my world would be here," Edward whispered. "Or that someone in their right mind would make a movie called _Homunculus_."

--

"I can't believe it," said Edward. It was the tenth time he had said it the last half hour. Alfons rested his cheek in his palm as he gazed down at the menu. They'd better not choose anything too expensive since their budget was limited enough already. Not that it was the fanciest restaurant on the block, but it was rather popular among the common working-class in town.

"I've never heard of homunculi in the news or such before, it's odd that they wouldn't hush down on the information." Edward had the usual deep scowl in his features, something that usually only made him cute.

"I told you," Alfons said. "The word homunculus isn't entirely uncommon in this world. I looked it up in a Latin dictionary, and it says black on white: '_little human_, or most generally, any representation of a human being."

"Close," Edward said. "But they're actually more like living artificial creatures manipulated by one single emotion rather than humans. They have no soul. They can only be born through alchemy by a failed human transmutation."

"Alchemy was never a successful art in this world," Alfons declared.

"Which is why this movie might tell me more of why homunculi aren't uncommon phenomenon _here_, and how the creators of this movie know about it."

Alfons wasn't convinced. "I don't know if I even _want_ to see this movie." He shuddered by the thought of the genre. "I read the review. It's a _horror_ movie. It's made to _scare_ people. I get scared."

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" Edward mocked.

"It's not funny!"

Edward was silent for a moment while his smile morphed back into a thoughtful scowl. "You never know... They might actually know something about my world." He had lowered his voice by the mention of his world, drawing Alfons' clear blue eyes back up at him for some seconds. "Or about alchemy."

"Edward, it could be just a fiction movie," Alfons said carefully, not wanting his lover to have his hopes set in the sky. "It's not certain that it's based on any realistic circumstances. Here in this world the knowledge of alchemy is mainly a legend from ancient history." To him that was obvious, but he was cautious with the subject around Edward.

"That's probably what they _want_ people to believe," Edward countered. "Besides, people just think of it as fiction simply because they don't know any better. No matter what it is, I can't _not_ see it."

Alfons sighed. He knew that when Edward's curiosity had first been triggered, there was no way of talking him out of it.

"Fine then," he said, giving in. Although, he might reconsider the thought of Edward holding his hand while watching.

By the time they had gotten their food, Edward was into a deep monologue about how superficial the knowledge of alchemy was in this world and how the other world's information couldn't really be compared to one another.

Alfons' attention to him went to and fro while he talked, but Edward never noticed whenever he spaced out on him. Alfons picked mindlessly at his food, wondering how this strange person had miraculously ended up with him or if he actually believed everything about this other world. It was a secret Edward had shared only with him, because sharing it with anyone else meant that he was practically turning himself in to the nearest asylum. Cobalt eyes gazed closely up at the other young man. He had known him for over a year and knew him inside-out. Still, he never stopped wondering who he actually was. Was he a lost person from a distant world he longed to return to, but couldn't, simply because that place was unreachable from anywhere? Was he mad or telling the truth? Which prospect of that was the most alarming one?

Alfons had never actually doubted Edward's sanity. It was more a question of his ways of facing reality. Edward's reality was different than his, and anyone else's. But that didn't necessarily make it untrue.

He ate small bites of his food as Edward had a moment to breathe.

"That's why I'm concerned if the homunculus had actually existed in this world. Not that they'd be able to change their form without alchemy though, although, there is still a chance that someone knows how to use alchemy in this world. It might be a parallel concept of it, the way people are parallel from the people I used to know."

Alfons lowered his fork, discreetly making sure no one had turned to look towards them with distressed looks on their faces, or had overheard him. Luckily everyone at the restaurant behaved like normal.

Apparently, every person had another person they looked like in the other world. And _he_, he had been told that he looked like Edward's younger brother. His eyes shot down of the thought of it. He would never get used to the thought that there might be another version of him out there, and that Edward knew them both. The most disturbing thought was that Alfons could imagine which of them Edward wished to be with the most.

"What is it?" Edward was looking at him with a troubled look. Then he grinned. "Are you still nervous about the movie?"

"No, that's not it," Alfons said. "Perhaps I will be if the homunculus in the movie is anything near akin to the homunculus you keep talking about." _Because that would mean that they really were real._

"That fact will disconcert me too," Edward agreed. "But I promise, I'll leave it all alone if nothing proves that it has something to do with it."

"Good," Alfons sighed.

"However, I'm curious about how this moving picture show looks in the first place."

When they had finished eating they paid and left the restaurant. Alfons had some moments to let some of his grim thoughts slip, and he felt excited again. Actually, he looked forward to showing Edward the cinema. He hadn't been there for a long time, but he still remembered the first time he saw one when he was little. He had been travelling with his mother and they had seen a cartoon movie about a dinosaur. American. It had been one of the most amazing things he'd ever seen.

It was completely dark outside. Even if it had stopped raining, the dark clouds were still covering the sky like someone had thrown a carpet over the city. A sour wind blew through the small gap on Alfons' jacket and he coughed a little while they walked. Edward sent him a wary sidelong glance, like he would consider heading straight home if Alfons coughed again. He pushed his hands deeply inside his pockets on his long brown coat, hiding the metal one and went a little closer by Alfons' side.

"Don't catch a cold," he said.

Alfons returned a half-hearted smile. "I'm not catching anything."

When they arrived at the cinema it was already crowded with people, eager to see the apparently new horror movie. But of course, either it was weekend or not, the cinema was always very much visited.

Alfons bought them tickets and found Edward studying the commercial poster of the movie they were about to see. The poster was dark, and pictured a man with dead eyes and a very uncommon body posture. It reminded Alfons of a zombie. He gazed at Edward and noticed that he was completely uninterested in the picture and rather studied the names of the movie makers and actors with tiny writing at the bottom.

"None of these names are familiar to me," Edward noted. "Sometimes people have the same names as their parallel persons, and I figured that there might be a link to people I've faced in my world who have been related to the homunculi."

Alfons contorted slightly. If Edward could only forget about those things for just one second and enjoy the evening with him... But he didn't mention it out loud.

"The director's name is Otto Rippert, and the story writer's name is Robert Reinert," Edward read thoughtfully. "Are they well-known in this world?"

"Both of them are quite well-known, yes," Alfons said reserved. "But I'm not all too familiar with them, at least not the director."

"If this movie has something to do with my world, they'll be the right people to contact," Edward reasoned. He was about to continue when he got a ticket pushed lightly against his nose. He stared up at Alfons' smiling face, and immediately forgot what he was about to say.

"We'll see the movie first," Alfons instructed evenly. "Then we'll find out."

Edward's smiled crookedly as well and yanked the ticket off his nose. "Alright."

The movie theatre was fully packed with people, with barely a single seat unoccupied by an excited citizen. Edward and Alfons had to dig their way to their seats, apologizing and leaping over people in between the narrow rows of seats. Their seats were located pretty much in the middle row to the left. Edward slumped down and stared curiously around the crowded cinema. Some people were even sitting in the stairs at the sides because there weren't any seats available to them.

"Seems to be a popular movie," Edward noted.

Alfons shrugged. "Figured. I think this is the first time it's being showed."

It became completely dark in the room before the screen came on, the image of light jumping a little up and down before it adjusted into focus. Alfons hoped it wouldn't be as scary as the newspaper had said.

First there was a commercial of another movie that could be viewed at the cinema that weekend, and people chattered enthusiastically after it was done. Edward was no exception, although it wasn't the plot he was interested in.

"It's amazing how a series of individual images can trick the eye to believe that it's real," he said while staring fascinated at the screen. "It's just an illusion. When these images are shown rapidly in succession, you can't see the flickering between frames due to the persistence of vision, where the eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source has been removed."

"Oh," Alfons said. "I thought you said you hadn't seen a movie before."

"I haven't."

Alfons scowled at him. "Then how…?"

"It's quite obvious," Edward stated.

"Right…" Well, he had always thought of Edward as an omnilegent being.

The motion picture in black and white started and ominous music loomed in the background, and people hushed around at each other to become quiet.

Alfons was soon too caught up by the plot to worry about the boding evil tones of the movie. It was about an artificially created human made by a scientist in a laboratory. This new creation was meant to be the perfect existing being. The nameless man had neither a soul nor the ability to feel real caring emotions like love, and soon he fled from the scientist after discovering his actual origins. He decided to take revenge on mankind by starting revolutions and becoming a monstrous tyrant in the name of Fuhrer. At the same time his creator-father was searching for him to remedy his mistake.

Alfons thought it was okay, but pretty fictive and on occasion very scary. But nothing like that could ever happen in reality, he thought in relief. Then he suddenly noticed that there were much fewer people in the theatre now over halfway through the movie, than when the movie had started – which seemed odd. Why would people be leaving in the middle of a film? He turned around as he heard some shouting behind him, and saw a man who was literally fighting his way out toward the doors.

"This is insane!" he screamed. "I won't watch this nonsense anymore!"

Alfons turned around again with a frown. It's just a movie… He could agree that the movie was quite frightening and he had been startled more than once. But he wouldn't leave just for something as minor as that. Besides, he had paid to be here so he would stay until the movie ended. He turned to look at Edward, and opened his mouth to speak, but something stopped him.

Edward was sitting erect in his chair, staring at the screen with concerted eyes so large that the golden orbs were mirroring the events happening on the screen. He didn't even seem to have noticed that people were leaving the cinema before the movie was over.

Alfons sank back into his seat with a small sigh. He had an idea of what Edward's review would be.

When the movie was finally over, the few last people around them left in a hurry, some of them even crying. Alfons turned to Edward again, who rose abruptly from his seat and stood still for some seconds.

Alfons wanted to say _don't tell me that you recognized aspects of this movie... Please._

Edward looked at him then with a deep scowl. "The Fuhrer in my country was a homunculus too."

Alfons wanted to go sleep.

--

It was late when they headed home. Fortunately the rain hadn't started again, but the air was still chilly and humid. Alfons wrapped his scarf more carefully around his throat as they went and glanced up at the depressing clouds in the dark night. Edward was much quieter than he had expected him to be, and he avoided starting the conversation himself because he was afraid he would say something that the older might take as an insult. As a scientist he saw only truth in what was proven, but who was he to judge really? Even if Edward laughed at text books, quarrelled with Professors at the University and believed Albert Einstein to be a suspicious nut, he knew Edward was special and brilliant and exceptional. He had told Alfons several things before he had doubted to be factual, still he found himself believing in it because it was exciting.

"You already know I can't let this be, right?" Edward finally said.

Alfons chuckled. "Or else it wouldn't be you."

Edward grinned at those words, immediately more at ease. "It might sound dull, but it's true. That movie is based upon something that actually happened in my world."

"But how would they know about that?" Alfons reasoned. "Aren't you the only one who knows?"

"I thought so too... Apart from my father."

"It couldn't be just a coincidence though?"

"No."

Alfons figured. "Alright. Let's look into it. Maybe we can contact the director and ask him."

Edward stared at him in surprise. "I thought you'd suggest that it's crazy."

"I didn't say it's not," Alfons reassured. "But nonetheless, I'll help you look for even the tiniest sense of rationality concerning all this."

Edward lightened up with a smile and seemed to be in a very good mood the rest of the way home. He started talking enthusiastically about the movie again, that some of the things that happened were really unrealistic but the small details were recognizable from_ (his)_ reality, like the fact that homunculi couldn't feel and that they had no soul. He seemed excited to start his new "research" tomorrow, and he discreetly touched Alfons a lot without making it too obvious for bypassing citizens. But Alfons noticed it, and he couldn't help liking it and that they had done something together that Edward had appreciated. Even if it was mostly the other world which drove the older forward, Alfons couldn't let that come in between his joy of them being together. He wanted to be a part of that world too, which of course made it impossible not to believe in it.

When they got home they went in as silently as they could to avoid waking up their landlady. They cuddled up underneath the comforting warm covers in Alfons' bed, and rested against the feeling of each other's bare skin.

"Did you notice how people just left the cinema?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," Alfons said in wonder. He'd thought Edward hadn't noticed. "Maybe they thought it was too scary."

"Did you think it was scary?" Edward smirked.

Alfons flushed. "No, don't be silly."

"I noticed how you almost reached for my metal hand. Did you think I wouldn't feel it?"

"I didn't!"

"Yes, you did!"

Alfons growled. "But it was a little horrifying at a certain point."

Edward grinned in triumph and kissed Alfons' lips. "Don't worry; I'll make sure the homunculus won't come and eat you."

Alfons rolled his eyes, but didn't turn away from the kiss. "I doubt it would consider me much of a treat."

Edward bit gently at his jaw. "I disagree."

Alfons went silent, feeling amused, and let Edward continue kissing his jaw, before continuing down his throat. The feeling of his lips was light and soft, making Alfons long for more. He answered the kisses onto Edward's chest, lightly touching a nipple with the tip of his tongue.

Edward breathed out in pure pleasure and arched his body up to press against his. They were still both a little shy in this new department of emotions. Their first time together had been only a few months earlier, but had fancifully enfolded their daily life to both of their appreciation after that.

As soon as the desiring and passionate emotions emerged within their spinal cords, neither of them made motion to ever let go of one another. Alfons left a light trail of soft kisses over the scar tissue on Edward's chest. It always reminded him of how much Edward had been through in his life, and made Alfons wonder what he himself had been doing his whole life, being protected, being at school, being safe. He had always been left behind, unscratched and feeling alone, while everyone else got hurt and died from him. At least until he met this brilliant wonder of a human being with eyes and a heart of gold.

He hugged around Edward's chest, suddenly stopping absentmindedly the erotic conduct.

Edward scowled and lifted his head to peer down at him. "Is something wrong?"

Alfons shook his head. "Sorry... I let my mind trail off a bit."

Edward looked insulted, and vengefully thrust his hips directly into his groin, making the other gasp out.

Alfons chuckled softly and attempted to soothe over his mistake. "I just couldn't imagine being without you."

"You're not being without me," Edward said, stating the fact. But somehow he always caught onto what Alfons really meant. "If I ever go back to my world, I'll drag you along with me."

Alfons smiled. He knew he preferred that over dying. "Thank you."

Edward closed his metal fingers gently around his cheek. "No, I'm the one on the side of gratitude. Anyone else would've thought of me as insane and locked me up. You're the only one I can trust in this world."

Alfons' heart made an excited leap of appreciation inside his chest. He reached up and kissed Edward again, more fervently this time.

Slowly he began to rub up and down against Edward in delicate strokes. He could feel Edward's desire hardening further through the barrier of their shorts, which was enough to make Alfons bolder, pacing faster and attacking the crook of his neck with kisses and small bites. Shortly after Edward had squirmed both Alfons and himself out of their shorts, and their naked bodies were cocooning one another into the enchanting affection.

Even in the dim light he could see Edward's face burning, and his own cheeks were equally aflame, blood beating in his ears. The sound of their breathing was strident, out of cadence. Edward's lips were humid with Alfons' kisses. The wordless connection and understanding they shared between one another was something Alfons knew he would never have with someone else.

He didn't miss the light wince in Edward's face as he entered him, and he waited patiently and soothed with kisses on the warm skin until his striking amber eyes misted with pleasure. Alfons began to move in slow strokes that brought him almost all the way out, before sinking back in to the hilt.

Edward hissed out his name, wrapping his legs around his waist to pull him closer. His mouth was half-open, and his small soft sighs filled Alfons with pure delight, and his body strived towards his pushes. Long stray locks of golden hair were sticking to his face, and Alfons brushed them away lightly, wanting to see all emotions reflecting in those beautiful eyes.

The rhythm of movements inside him, his trembling, ragged sighs, slapping sound of their bodies carried Alfons away. Edward tossed his head back as they both came together, frozen in a sweet series of delightful spasms.

Alfons collapsed and went boneless on top of Edward. For a couple of minutes they were just lying like that, listening to the music of silence, waiting for their breaths to soothe down.

"This dating stuff isn't so bad," Edward declared.

Alfons rolled onto his back beside him and chuckled softly. "I knew you'd warm up to it, with or without chasing this wild clue to another distant planet. Or getting drunk."

Edward grinned and propped himself up on his elbow, gazing down at Alfons' soft face. "Every time I set out on wild goose chases I end up in another world."

Alfons knew it was a joke, but as they settled to sleep he hooked his leg over Edward's and wrapped his arms around his cool metal arm for a good measure. Just to be sure.

_If you're ending up in another world this time, don't forget to take me with you._

--

The next day was a sunny Saturday morning when Edward and Alfons settled down at a table in the public library. It was only eleven o'clock, so there were only a few people wandering around all the shelves of books, giving them the privacy they needed.

"We got two names to start with, so you can start with the writer, Robert Reinert," Edward instructed. "And I'll look up the director, Otto Rippert."

"Alright," Alfons said, digging into the stack of books they had already found of assorted history on German film. He didn't have to look for long until he found a small biography of the writer of _Homunculus_. The article was older than the movie, but it didn't matter much. "He's a novelist mostly, but also a director," Alfons informed. "Born in Vienna, but has lived in Munich since 1900, a few kilometres outside the centre."

"That's at least something," Edward said. "Then he shouldn't be too far out of reach, in contradiction to this guy. I can hardly find anything on Otto Rippert." He had already scanned through the contents of three different books, being the true knowledge sponge he was. "He's being listed as director of several films, but I can't find any more information about him."

"I'll try this book," Alfons said and continued to flip the pages of the volume he had already started reading. "It seems to have decent biographical articles on most of the main people in German movie making."

And he did find the name he was looking for. He sighed and turned the book towards Edward. Golden eyes danced over the page, before scowling in disappointment. "Otto Rippert, 1869-" he muttered. "Is he the only one without a biography?"

"Seems like it." Alfons shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like having information written down about him."

"That's stupid, he's a famous director, isn't he?"

"Well, what about the writer? At least he lives close to where we are," Alfons said, although he didn't like it much. What were they supposed to do? Come knock on his door and ask him about another world?

"Yeah, I want to have a small chat with him," Edward said. "Did you find his address?"

Alfons nodded. "At least one from two years ago. If he hasn't moved..."

"We'll find out when we get there." Edward rose from his seat and quickly gathered all the books back into a stock. "Let's go!"

Alfons rose too, feeling uncertain. "What are you going to ask him?"

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on him," Edward smirked, and Alfons rolled his eyes. Edward could often be a little _too_ importunate.

They found a bus and drove for about twenty-five minutes before they reached the other side of town. Neither of them were very familiar in these streets, and after getting off the bus they simply picked the direction by following their _(or Edward's)_ intuition. After a couple of mistake turns, they found the right street.

The house was small, but everything around the porch seemed neat and tended for. Edward stepped right up on the porch without a moment's hesitation, hammered on the door using the fancy bronze knocker shaped as a lion's head.

Alfons wondered if he hoped the writer wasn't at home. Would it be okay to step up to his door like this? But then the door unlocked and opened, and he gathered up his most polite _(and apologetic) _facial expression, ready to smooth everything over if Robert Reinert thought Edward was being rude.

A corpulent man with quite long dark and greyish hair and a curious expression met them in the door. He looked to be around 50 and he was dressed in a casual brown suit, without the tie, and instead the upper buttons of his shirt were undone to relieve some air.

Edward let out a short gasp, and Alfons gazed at him, immediately knowing what that gasp meant. Edward recognized him from his own world. Alfons didn't like this. Edward might be even more convinced than ever that it was some kind of sign signalling that everything had something to do with his world. Although, Alfons had to admit, it was kind of frightening.

The man looked puzzled at the two younger men at his porch.

"Good day," Edward said, fortunately out of his first state of surprise. "Are you Robert Reinert?"

"Yes, who is asking?"

"Edward Elric," Edward introduced himself. "And this is my friend, Alfons Heiderich."

The man accepted both of their hands and greeted them warmly. "What do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was wondering if you've got some time? There's something I'd like to speak with you about."

"Well of course, I do have some time. Please, come in."

He stepped to the side and invited Edward and Alfons inside. "Thank you, sir," Alfons said politely.

"Not at all. Let me put on some coffee. Or do you prefer tea?"

The man seemed very happy to get visitors, maybe he didn't have visitors very often, Alfons thought.

"Coffee's fine," Edward replied.

"The living room is this way, just sit down." Reinert made a hand gesture towards an open room and went into the kitchen to prepare the coffee. Alfons looked around the neat house as he followed Edward to the living room. The walls were full of colourful paintings in all sizes. Even if the house was small, Robert Reinert seemed like a wealthy man who could live off of his books and manuscripts.

Edward sat down on the couch a little stiffly and Alfons joined him.

"Is he a parallel person?" He knew there would be no point asking who, but he needed to confirm his suspicions, and he wondered if the person was good or bad according to Edward's experiences.

Edward nodded. "Dr. Tim Marcoh. In my world he was an alchemist who made incomplete Philosopher's stones. These stones worked as food for the homunculi and made them stronger."

Alfons stared at him with broad blue eyes. "That's..." _insane._ How could a coincidence like that even be possible? But still, it didn't mean that homunculi were real in _this_ world. Alfons consoled himself with that conclusion.

Robert Reinert came into the living room shortly after, carrying a tray with coffee cups and cookies. "I don't have visitors very often," he admitted. "Mostly I'm too busy or away. My wife died some years ago, you see, so after that I've spent most of my time by the typewriter."

"My condolences," Alfons offered apologetically.

"It's quite alright. She was sick, very sick, she's probably much better off now," Reinert added with a small sigh. He put down the tray in front of them. "Just help yourself with coffee and cookies."

"Thank you," Alfons said, but it was Edward who first started to devour a cookie and he wasn't surprised. Food was never unwelcome down in Edward's stomach, no matter where they were.

"So, are you two interested in movies?" Reinert asked knowingly as he sat down at a chair facing them across the small coffee table.

"I'm mainly interested in your latest manuscript," Edward said directly.

Reinert looked at him in a curious manner. "Well, I thought so. The movie named _Homunculus _has been shown a couple of times at the cinema across the country, and I have to say you were lucky you made it to watch it. They called me a short while ago, telling me that they're considering not showing it anymore." He adjusted calmly in his seat and lifted his coffee cup to his lips.

"Really?" Edward said. "Why?" He picked up his own cup as well, but didn't drink yet since it would be too hot.

"Well, apparently it isn't suited for the cinema. Bad karma and such. They said some people have gone mad seeing it."

Alfons remembered how people had been screaming and hasting out of the big hall during the movie.

Edward quirked an eye brow. "That's hardly fair. I thought it was a good movie."

"I think so too," Alfons added. "Although, it was a little unexpected." Even if it was scary, he hadn't wanted to leave before it was over, and besides, Edward would never have left him alone if he had.

"Thank you," Reinert chuckled softly. "I appreciate having fans among the youth. Although, I got considerably more credit from my first books than for this manuscript."

"What I was wondering," Edward continued, "is how you got inspiration to write it."

Reinert stopped drinking his coffee and gazed at Edward again, eyeing him closely with his greenish eyes. "That's an interesting question. The term homunculus has roots in ancient fables, of course. However, the secret to the story has connection in this country's ways of politics, which hasn't always been successful, as you probably know. The Great War was a huge mistake, and another one will occur if they let a person like my fictional character reach the top."

"That sums it up quite well," Edward muttered.

"The director, Otto Rippert, was a good friend of mine, but unfortunately we had our disagreements," Reinert admitted. "He works in association with Ufa."

"Ufa?" Edward repeated. He gazed at Alfons for help.

"It's a movie company in Berlin," Alfons explained. "Pretty well-known too because of Fritz Lang."

Reinert nodded in confirmation. "Ah, his movies, like _Dr. Mabuse _for instance, were a great success. He is a big inspiration for me. Although, Ufa is a government-owned company – which I personally don't like. They've tried to convince me to work for them, but I've refused their offers so far. They've made huge money out of making propaganda movies for the Great War, which is some of the reasons why so many people were influenced to unwillingly accept the war. A movie is a dangerous weapon."

"A weapon?" Edward repeated slowly.

Alfons understood. "When people are watching it they'll believe there's truth to it since movies are looked upon as a valuable source of information, not to mention how engaging this technology is," he surmised wisely.

"Yes exactly," Reinert said. "It's a perfect way of getting people to think in the same direction as you, and among the authorities it has been misused, and probably also will be in the future. The government makes the cinemas show mainly things they _want _people to see, or what they want people to believe. My movie is an exception, which is probably why they're planning to remove it from the cinema. They think it'll have bad influence among people's understanding of the government."

"Politics..." Edward shuddered. He hated it.

"I'm just trying to make people see the big picture through fiction," Reinert said with a shrug. "Whether or not people will see it or believe in it is up to them."

Edward sipped at his coffee with a thoughtful scowl. "Mr. Reinert, do you believe in it?"

Reinert stared at him in surprise. From the way Edward asked the question, he obviously understood that he didn't mean the political meaning, but something else. "In what way in particular?"

"Homunculus." Edward said the word in a strange casual manner.

Reinert was silent for a while before he smiled. "A homunculus is said to be an imitation of a human being, unable to love and without caring feelings of other humans, or even the will to understand common sense. Are we supposed to believe that a creature like that could actually exist?"

Edward and Alfons were unsure what to reply to that.

"To not believe it, is naive," Reinert emphasized. "It is said that a homunculus is either a devil or in association with the devil. And I'm a believer, Mr. Elric. If I believe in God, it binds me to believe in the devil as well, whether or not he exists in a human form yet."

It was a wise answer. Alfons wondered if Robert Reinert believed that a tyrant would show up before the people at some point and lead them to acts on behalf of the devil itself. The thought was pretty disturbing. But of course, not all people in the world were good, the war was proof of that. So thinking it couldn't happen was indeed naive and too superficial. Still, Alfons wanted to trust that people had learned something from their mistakes. Making a mistake was human. The lesson was to not repeat them.

Edward nodded at the man's words, seemingly okay with the answer he had received. "I'm sorry we bothered you, Mr. Reinert. Before we go, I have one last favour to ask you."

"Not at all, just ask me anything," Reinert beamed.

"Do you know where I can find Otto Rippert? I'd like to see him too."

Reinert put up his usual puzzled facial expression. "Well, I'd try Ufa if I were you. I know he lives in Berlin, but I don't know his address. He likes to have his privacy, and hardly meets with people other than the ones he's working with. He's usually on one of the sets at Ufa, working on a new movie of his. He hardly ever rests."

Edward nodded. "Thank you very much." He rose and prepared to leave and Alfons rose as well, surprised that Edward was already finished here. They hadn't found out much in particular.

"Can I ask what triggered this curiosity of yours?" Reinert asked.

"Just a hobby of sorts," Edward shrugged. It wasn't even a lie. Alfons rolled his eyes and hid a smile.

"Well, in that case." Robert Reinert showed them the way out and remained in the doorway as they came outside. "I hope this visit was helpful to you. Feel free to come again."

"It was enlightening," Edward said.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality, sir," Alfons added politely.

"Don't mention it, the pleasure is all mine. Have a nice trip to Berlin!"

They left the house and headed back towards the bus stop. Alfons gazed curiously in Edward's direction as he walked in deep thought beside him. "What did you make out of this, really?" he asked in the end. "To me it all sounded like a huge coincidence."

Edward shook his head. "There's something to this, I'm sure. I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me something, but that he might not feel all that comfortable with it."

"Really? He seemed very nice to me..."

"Yeah, that's true. But he might be into something more, and what if this Rippert or this Ufa company has threatened him with something?"

"Threatened him?" Alfons squeaked. "Like, with what?"

"The authorities in this world creeps me out," Edward admitted. "If Robert Reinert is right, they have more control over things than people might be aware of. It's just like in my world. The authorities were the bad guys, and no one even knew. Instead, people trusted their own future to those people."

"I think you're exaggerating," Alfons said carefully. "There's no way there isn't at least one sane person among the people who are ruling this country. The war stopped, you know? We're heading towards better times day by day."

"I'm still going to check out Ufa," Edward said, which Alfons had already assumed to be his next move. It was still early in the afternoon, and as persistent as Edward was he would get to the bottom of this before Monday.

Alfons chuckled. "The train to Berlin leaves every hour. Let's go."

Edward sent him a sidelong glance and grinned.


	2. The One with the Hidden Face

**CHAPTER 2: The One with the Hidden Face**

--

"Two tickets to Berlin, thanks," Edward told the lady behind the glass in the busy train station in Munich. Alfons stood beside him and scanned their surroundings for a minute. The station was fully packed with people since it was the weekend, and travelling by train was pretty much the most effective way of getting anywhere. When he turned back, Edward had already paid for two tickets and headed out of the queue. Alfons hurried after him and tugged at his sleeve.

"I can pay for my own ticket."

"Nah," Edward said. "I'm more or less dragging you six hours across the country. Save it for food."

Alfons concluded that he was right. They didn't have much money, and he had of course not accounted for a trip to Berlin into their budget this month. He decided to pay for Edward's next meal to compensate, even if he knew Edward would probably refuse.

It was a long trip. Alfons sat by the window and Edward sat down next to him, reading a different book than yesterday. He always finished his books within a couple of days, and he had even brought two so they could read one each and then switch on the way back.

Alfons usually didn't travel much, he never had the time. His profession required too much sitting, studying, calculating and fiddling-work to give the prospect any time to consider. It was different with Edward. He always did exactly what suited him the most and he had obviously been used to travelling around in his own world, especially by train.

The train had been moving for about half an hour before Edward fell asleep, who always seemed to have this uncanny ability to fall asleep in all kinds of places. Either the train was a better resolve than his own bed, or it was the result of Edward's continuous attempts to solve all the world's mysteries at night.

Alfons smiled and stared idly out the window. They were leaving the dark clouded sky behind as they travelled out of Munich, and the sun stood high on the blue skies in contradiction to last night. It was relieving to finally see a blue sky for a change.

After four hours Alfons put down the book he had been reading, feeling his eyes starting to droop and he kept missing what he had just read and had to reread each paragraph at least three times before continuing. He was glad Edward had brought the book though, or else the trip would have been a very dreary one. Still, there were two hours left, and he didn't feel like reading anymore.

Then Edward's head suddenly slipped down on his shoulder, and Alfons could only stare amusedly at him for being such a heavy sleeper.

Edward was snoring lightly and his book rested on his knee supported by his metal hand. The other lay lax in between them. The weight of his head rested comfortably against Alfons' shoulder, his cheek so close that Alfons had to restrain himself from not leaving a soft kiss there. No matter how adorable, he wondered if it would look odd to people if someone saw them like this. Maybe it would be better to wake Edward up to avoid any possible awkward situations.

Very gently he poked Edward's side, knowing it was the only way of waking him. The shorter blond stirred from the tickling sensation and scowled as his eyes partially opened. Then he straightened up fast with a slight flush spreading from his nose, and had to fumble a little after his book as it nearly escaped off of his knee.

Alfons scoffed and stared out the window again to feign that nothing abnormal was going on between them from the view of the other passengers.

When Edward's heart rate had calmed, Alfons turned back to him and smiled. "You've been asleep for almost four hours."

"Oh," Edward said. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I've been reading the whole time," Alfons reassured. "Besides, you looked like you needed it."

Edward pretended not to notice the slight teasing tone in his voice. "Hey Alfons..." He sounded suddenly serious, and Alfons gazed at him with a questioning look.

"Are you really okay with all this? I don't want you to be freaked out by me or anything." Edward stared intently at him.

"What do you mean?" Alfons said. "Why would I freak out?"

"We might be onto something dangerous."

"Why do you say that?"

"Propaganda," Edward said, and Alfons frowned. "Propaganda uses movies as a weapon, and Ufa has produced it before."

"That was only during the end of the Great War," Alfons replied, letting the volume of his voice sink a couple of notches. "People know better now."

"I'm not so sure. You saw it as well as me, didn't you? People were leaving the cinema while watching Homunculus, and even turned crazy. Maybe it wasn't because the movie was scary, but because of the political aspects? People are in denial."

Alfons looked away, not liking the way this conversation was going. Was he in denial? Would a new war occur? And would movies in that case make a war seem like the right thing? He shook his head. "It has happened before," he said. "Let's just trust it won't happen again." He forced a smile. He didn't want to discuss this anymore. He preferred it when Edward talked about his own world instead. Everything seemed much better when bad things like war and tyrannical dictators were occurring in _his_ world, and not in Alfons'. He tried to sidetrack the subject in a lighter direction without seeming too obvious. "Do you think you'll find more duplicate people of your world at Ufa?" he asked.

Edward nodded. "I'm certain of it."

The remaining time of the train trip didn't take too long, and finally the two stepped out on the peer in Berlin. It seemed to have been a sunny day in Berlin as well, but sadly the sun was already starting to set.

"I hope they aren't closed," Edward said.

"It's 7 pm soon – on a Saturday night," Alfons said slowly.

"Whatever, let's find a bus. Someone has to be there." Edward strode towards the bus connections and Alfons trotted after with a sigh.

Finding the place didn't turn out to be very hard, since it was so big. They found a place where people usually bought tickets to get a tour around the company. A lady was sitting there, looking a little bored. They were informed that their man was in, working with a scene. So at least they had succeeded so far. It was Edward's attitude which seemed to pose a problem. Alfons noted the way he glared around and didn't look the least bit inviting towards others, so it ended up being him who did most of the talking, trying to explain why they desired a meeting with Otto Rippert.

"We're doing a school project on his new movie," Alfons lied timidly. They decided they would have to work their way around complete honesty until they met with Otto Rippert. Unless they would risk their chance of meeting with him in the first place.

"I'll see what I can do," the lady said. "But this is probably not a good time. You might have to come back on Monday afternoon."

"It's urgent," Edward persisted. "Tell him we have to see him today. It's very important."

"Usually he doesn't like getting visitors," the lady informed dryly. "I wouldn't have very high hopes if I were you."

"It will only take a minute," Alfons reassured. "Just try, please." If Edward wasn't going to be polite, he at least would be.

"Wait there then," she said and turned to a phone. She dialled a number and was silent for a few seconds while waiting for someone to pick up. "Hello," she said eventually. "A couple of young men wish to see you. A school project. I understand." She sounded unsurprised. She turned to them, still with the phone in hand. "He is busy today. He doesn't have time to see you."

"Wait, don't hang up!" Edward butted in and leaned over the desk. "Tell him Edward Elric wants to see him. It's very important!"

The lady behind the desk scowled suspiciously at him. "Yes, he says Edward Elric wants to see you and that it's important. I'm sorry to bother you, sir."

Edward's shoulders sank and he sighed. Alfons felt pretty disappointed as well. Had they come all the way here for nothing?

But then the tone changed in her voice. "Oh? Alright, I'll tell them." She put the receiver down. "He can see you in fifteen minutes. For a ten minute visit. Is that alright?"

Edward's eyes brightened up. "Yeah, thank you ma'am!" _If I need more time with him, I'll get it..._ he thought cunningly.

"We appreciate your help," Alfons added and smiled.

She gave Edward a card and pointed towards one of the large buildings nearby. "Just walk into the hall there and wait until you're called. The card will grant you access. But be sure to give it back when you leave."

Edward nodded. "Sure."

While they walked towards the building, Alfons scoffed as he realized what Edward's intention had been when he had told them his name. "Do you think Otto Rippert might know your father?"

Edward nodded. "I'm not sure, but it was worth a try. I figured, if he got some inspiration from my father in the making of this movie, he might be interested in seeing me."

_Amazing..._ Alfons mused. And Otto Rippert had changed his mind the moment he had heard Edward's name. That might actually mean that he knew something.

As instructed, they waited inside the hall of the building for a while, before a young woman met them. She was very pretty and had short, black hair. Alfons noted how Edward tensed the moment he saw her. He recognized someone the moment they arrived? It really had to be some sort of sign this time.

"My name is Lyra," she said. "I'll show you the way to the set. Please don't touch anything."

She turned around without waiting for a reply and stepped into a new hall, and Alfons elbowed Edward since he seemed to be lost in thought. Edward blinked at him and then seemed to snap out of whatever self induced trance he had been in, and then they followed after silently.

"Who was she?" Alfons whispered so only Edward could hear.

"That's complicated," Edward replied in a low voice. "But she was in contact with the homunculi as well."

"I see..."

Or was it that everyone he knew from the other world people who had been familiar with homunculi?

"Hurry up, please," the woman named Lyra urged as she reached the end of the hall. "Mr. Rippert hates it whenever he gets delayed."

"Sorry, ma'am," Alfons said.

They stepped into a new room. It was huge, like a park. Everywhere stood plants and trees along with fake _(at least he thought they were fake) _animals. Some of the animals even represented dinosaurs. Alfons was impressed.

"This is a simulated zoo," Lyra explained. "We use it for the movies."

Edward stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked through the synthetic park.

"Hello Lyra," a cheerful voice suddenly called out from behind them. "I see you've brought some guests."

The three of them turned around in synch, and again, Edward gasped out. This reaction was more like the one he had performed at the time they met the writer, Robert Reinert. Alfons gave him a quick, curious side-glance before turning towards the newly arrived man. To his surprise, Alfons even felt a sense of familiarity in the man, but that couldn't have anything to do with the other world of course. Maybe he had been in the papers.

The smiling man stepped out of one of the bushes and waved. "It seems I fell asleep under there. It has been a long day!"

"Ah, Mr. Lang. I'm simply escorting these two to meet with Mr. Rippert," Lyra explained. She looked slightly bothered. "Please use the bedroom next time you're tired, sir."

"No problem at all," the man laughed. "Hello there boys, my name is Fritz Lang. Pleased to meet you."

_Fritz Lang?_ No wonder he had seemed familiar. Alfons felt slightly excited. His movies were exceptional. "I'm Alfons Heiderich," he said, since it seemed Edward didn't know how to reply coherently yet. "And this is my friend, Edward Elric."

Edward looked slightly disturbed, but then decided he had no reason to act suspiciously. "Pleased to meet you too," he muttered.

"Well, what brings you here?" Lang asked curiously. "There are a lot of funny things to see, of course. But usually my old friend Mr. Rippert wouldn't accept any visitors at this hour."

"I just want to talk to him about his latest movie," Edward said briefly.

"Oh, I see. That is indeed a very interesting movie. Oh well, I won't occupy you any further. Please stop by again sometime, in case I need some extra." He turned from them and waved his hand. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

They watched him leave for a second, and then Alfons could no longer bear with his own curiosity. "And him...?"

Edward scowled. "He is the parallel of the homunculus who was the Fuhrer in my country."

Alfons' eyes magnified. "Wow..."

Edward turned to him. "I guess it doesn't matter. He didn't seem like him at all."

Alfons was happy to hear that. Of course, even if the parallels were looking the same, they were not the same people. If someone was bad in the other world, they could still be good in this one.

"If you want to meet with Mr. Rippert, you should move on," Lyra said sharply. "Follow me."

They came to another hall, and one of the doors in it led to a new room of exotic character. There was a stage with synthetic trees standing around, but also coffee tables were people could take a break and a cup of tea.

"Mr. Rippert will meet you here shortly," Lyra said. "Meanwhile, you can sit down and wait."

"Alright, thank you for the escort," Alfons said politely.

When Lyra had left, Alfons let himself sit down by one of the tables. He had felt awfully tired lately.

Edward remained standing and looked around the new big room. "Isn't it typical how we were urged onward and still we end up being the ones who have to wait?" he muttered gruffly.

"Be happy we managed to get a meeting with him at all," Alfons reasoned. "Maybe it wasn't very polite to show up like this. We should've called first."

"No way, then he would definitely have said no," Edward replied.

"Yes, yes, you're probably right about that," a new voice said, and Edward started with wide eyes. That voice... Where had he heard that voice before?

He turned around slowly towards a man with glasses, small eyes and brown hair. He held a cup of coffee in his hand and stared curiously back at Edward.

Alfons noted Edward recognization immediately. He was starting to get used to it... But still Edward looked more startled than ever. Who was it this time? Apparently, this man was someone bad in Edward's books.

Edward actually backed up a step, his eyes as wide as saucers and his body starting to tremble, frozen up like a block of ice.

Alfons rose quickly from his chair, immediately alarmed. Edward had never reacted akin to this before. Even Otto Rippert looked troubled by his behaviour.

"It is me you wanted to see, wasn't it?" he asked.

Edward's teeth clamped together in spite. "Tucker..."

Alfons stared at him, starting to feel worried that Edward would scare the director away by acting like this. Who was Tucker? He had never heard Edward mention a man by that name before.

A magnetic field of anger suddenly ravaged inside all of Edward's being, just by the sight of this man. Even if this wasn't the same person, he would never get used to it enough to contain that rage and disgust he felt towards the Tucker from his own world. He wanted to storm forward and punch him, realizing too late that his fist had already risen on its own. But then Alfons was suddenly standing beside him and had gripped his arm tightly, like he had known exactly what he was thinking.

_What am I doing?_ Edward quickly relaxed, and lowered his arm. He would never get to talk to this man about the movie unless he kept himself contained. _This man has nothing to do with Nina..._

"Are you alright?" Otto Rippert asked slowly.

Edward made a reluctant sound. "You looked like someone I know," he said, averting his eyes for a second before forcing himself to look at him again. "Are you Mr. Rippert?"

"Yes, I am," Rippert replied. "Usually I would never agree to something like this, but I know your father, Edward Elric. So your arrival triggered my curiosity. Have a seat."

Edward started again and almost forgot about how his parallel person, Shou Tucker, had used his own daughter as an experiment to make a chimera. So his theory had been right. "So, you know him, huh? I figured," Edward crowed. The question was now, how?

"Yes." Otto Rippert sat down on a chair and gesticulated towards a couple of other chairs across of him by one of the coffee tables. "First of all, what do you want with me?"

Edward and Alfons sat down slowly, exchanged a quick look, then Edward blatantly took the word again. "We came to ask you about your movie. The one called _Homunculus_."

"Ah? I have to say, I'm afraid everything was mainly Robert Reinert's manuscript. The textual work has nothing to do with me. I've simply taken care of the visual aspects."

Edward frowned. It sounded like he was apologizing for even making it. "What do you think of the manuscript?"

"That's what I should be asking you, isn't it?" Mr. Rippert countered. "The people are the judge. And most of them didn't like it. I figured that was the reason why you almost attacked me when you saw me." He smirked at his own observation, and Edward made a short indifferent snort.

"That had nothing to do with you," Alfons shot in to save Edward. "He just mistook you for someone else. I'm sorry if you felt threatened."

"No harm done," Rippert said. "To tell you the truth, I don't care. They've already removed the movie from the cinemas in Berlin, and by tomorrow it will probably be either locked up or disposed of entirely."

"You mean they'll burn it?" Alfons asked slowly.

"Probably yes. When people don't like it, there's no need for trash like that in the movie industry."

"You're calling your own movie trash?" Edward said drolly.

"Not everyone disliked it," Alfons said carefully, attempting to get on a better foot with the man. "It was very interesting."

"Why do you think so?" Rippert asked puzzled.

Edward chose to be careful with the political aspects, since it was probably not tolerated at this place. Ufa was a nationalistic company. They had been the ones who stood for the propaganda, so naturally they would be against anything that put their beliefs in a bad light. "The homunculus theory," he said instead. "Do you think this could happen?"

Otto Rippert stared at him for a long moment. Then he burst out laughing. "You probably shouldn't walk around and believe everything you see in a movie, kid. That's why they are removing it. People believe too much when they see it on a screen."

Edward flared up. _I'm not a kid! _He decided to take a small chance. "I've actually heard this particular story before," he said, and Rippert stopped grinning.

"You're familiar with it?"

"Yes. The story wasn't new to me at all," Edward said. "I was wondering if you knew anything."

"I can't say that I do," Rippert said slowly. "I had never heard of the story before Mr. Reinert pitched it for me."

Edward wasn't convinced. Was he lying? It was hard to tell. But if he had known Van Hohenheim, wouldn't that explain the reference of the movie to his own world? On the other hand, Otto Rippert had said he had had nothing to do with the written work.

Mr. Rippert seemed like he had had enough of the meeting with them already, and looked like he was about to suggest that they leave.

"How do you know my father, exactly?" Edward prodded.

"Through an organization called Thule Society," Otto Rippert said. "A study group who are interested in occult magic."

"Occult... magic?" Edward repeated slowly.

"It all is based on complete nonsense, of course. I know Robert Reinert has been involved with them as well."

"Where is this Thule Society?" Edward asked quickly.

"I don't know," Rippert shrugged. "I'm not interested in that sort of thing, and I don't speak with Reinert anymore. We had our disagreements which led our parting after finishing the movie."

"Disagreements?" Edward inquired.

"I don't feel obligated to tell you about that. Frankly, I don't have any more time to waste away with you. Now, if you both will excuse me, I will ask Lyra to show you the way out." Otto Rippert rose from his chair. "Your father is a nitwit, and I've been confirmed that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I really hate prodding kids like you." Then he simply left without another word.

Edward's eyes widened as his memory got screwed back at the time he found Tucker in his laboratory, with the chimera of a girl and a dog sitting by his feet.

"_I hate kids with instincts like you."_

Alfons stared perplexed after the director as he left, and before he managed to speak, Edward had already risen from his chair, seemingly in a hurry to leave as well. He stalked away towards the way they had come.

--

After they delivered the access card and got out, Edward was striding so fast, away from Ufa, that Alfons had some trouble keeping up with him.

"Edward?" he called after his back. Had he been affected this much? "He was just a rude old man. I doubt he knows your father very well. Wait...!"

Edward stopped and let Alfons catch up to him. His eyes were hidden behind the shadow casting from his long bangs and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. Alfons was shocked. Edward looked like he was on the edge of crying.

Without a word, Alfons wrapped his arms around his shoulders and hugged him closely. It was dark outside, and not too many people were around to watch. It would probably not look too strange.

"There's probably someone else we can talk to," Alfons said in a low voice, attempting anything he could to understand what exactly was bothering Edward. To be fair, he had no idea. Edward was usually not someone to visibly care about an insult directed at him.

"No," Edward said. "This was ridiculous in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to get further involved in this crap," Edward barked. "I don't care anymore! All it does is bring back memories I don't want to remember! That man... I wanted to rip him apart! And he's got nothing to do with it. He's right even. The movie made people mad. It's probably for the best that it gets burned up. I don't care. Homunculi don't exist in this world."

Alfons gave him a long, confounded stare. If it had been yesterday, he knew he would probably have agreed with Edward on the prospect that Homunculi didn't exist. But now he was starting to have second thoughts. And he was supposed to be a scientist... Still, he thought about what Robert Reinert had told them this morning. It was naïve to think there wasn't any more to it, and Edward thought someone might have threatened Reinert into talking too loudly about the power of movies being used for the wrong purposes.

Wasn't Edward coming to fast conclusions now? Would he ignore these prospects just because bad memories were provoked by seeing Mr. Rippert's appearance?

"Who did Otto Rippert look like?" Alfons asked quickly.

Edward's face turned dark once again, and he seemed to hesitate. "It's not important. He was someone who didn't know the difference between morality and egotism."

"What about Thule Society?" Alfons tried. "What if Rippert is associated with them too, like your father? They sound like they might have something to do with this." He couldn't believe that Edward was giving up and trying to be rational _now_. They had more clues they could follow, so why didn't he want to continue anymore?

"Forget them," Edward muttered. "Let them do their so-called magic. It has nothing to do with me." He continued walking. "Let's find a train."

Alfons hurried after him. "Wait a second!" Was Edward heading home to Munich already? They had just arrived here, and he didn't feel up to another six hour train ride already.

It would be almost morning when they'd finally reach Munich again. Couldn't Edward just take a break sometime?

"Shouldn't we stay here overnight?" Alfons suggested fast, holding Edward back by the arm. He received a very sceptical look from the shorter blond.

"Why?" Edward asked. "There's nothing more to do here."

"That's not true," Alfons said. "This is Berlin. I've only been here once before in my life, and it's already quite late."

"You can sleep on the train," Edward protested.

"I can't sleep on trains," Alfons replied meekly. He had only wanted Edward to come with him on a date in the first place. If they were not goose chasing wild stories from another world anymore, couldn't they at least spend some time enjoying themselves together?

Edward was about to protest, but Alfons' lungs provided a troublesome coughing fit which made him change his mind. "Alright. Maybe we can find a cheap hotel around here... You shouldn't be walking around without your scarf."

"I'm alright," Alfons said mildly. "Just calm down a little for a change. It's Saturday evening. We're supposed to be out having fun."

Edward snorted a smile. "Alright then. But this time I decide."

"Okay." Alfons grinned and was only glad he had convinced Edward to stay here overnight. They didn't have to walk for very long before they found a small hotel Edward liked _(more likely because of the pub on the ground floor than anything else.)_ It didn't look to be very expensive. They could bear with low standards for only one night. Alfons figured, the important thing was that they'd have somewhere to sleep.

The bar sounded of laughing men and music. They bypassed it as they headed towards the reception to order their room first. A young woman welcomed them behind the reception desk. She had long, dark hair and clear green eyes. "Good evening, boys. Need a pair of rooms?"

"No, only one," Edward said.

She stared at them puzzled for a while. "We don't have twin rooms, only for couples or single."

Edward flushed slightly. "That's fine. I like sleeping on the floor."

"We're not going to sleep much anyway," Alfons hurriedly added with a bright smile. "Looks like it's quite lively at the pub tonight."

The girl smiled at him and winked. "Alright then, I'll give you a double. Let me know if you feel lonely. My shift ends at midnight."

Alfons involuntary swallowed, but smiled. "I might see you then."

The girl handed him the key with a charming smirk.

Edward was quick to drag Alfons with him as soon as they had finished ordering and gotten their key.

"Stupid moron," he muttered.

"Hey, at least she didn't get suspicious because of your inability to word things properly in front of people," Alfons protested. "Even if you _did_ like sleeping on the floor, they would probably not have let you order only one room for us unless I had said something."

Edward snorted theatrically. "Well, don't blame _me_ if she drools all over you later."

They reached the top of the stairs to their room on the second floor, and Alfons couldn't help grinning. "You aren't _jealous_, are you?"

"Fuck no!" Edward was unsuccessful in hiding the new slight flush spreading over his cheeks. "She wasn't even that attractive."

"You _are _jealous!"

"Absolutely not!"

Alfons laughed out as Edward irately put the key into the right door and muttered something like Alfons better shut up unless he had a suitable death wish.

The room was small and basically only contained a double sized bed and a nightstand. To the right was a small bathroom with a toilet and a sink and no shower. Alfons thought it smelled weird in the room as well. He had to remind himself that it was for only one night and that the facility hadn't ruined their budget. At least not yet.

Edward wrung off his jacket and tossed it on the bed. "Let's get a drink before this pot smell gets to my brain."

Alfons wrinkled his nose in disgust over finding out what the smell was. "Fine. Just one sec." He turned to the window and opened it to get the worst of it out before they came back to sleep. He took off his jacket as well and put it down next to Edward's. Then they descended down the stairs again.

The pub was crowded and indeed lively. Almost every table in the place was occupied by loud drinking or already drunk Germans.

They found a pair of free high stools by the bar desk and Edward ordered them a pair of beers. Alfons hadn't really taken a drinking night into account this weekend, but he figured it was alright. He felt much better and hadn't had a fever for long. He could stand a couple of drinks. As long as Edward could watch his own intake before the point where he stopped having fun, it was fine with Alfons.

The cold golden liquid actually felt quite good after a relatively long day, going from place to place and sitting on trains and buses for so many hours.

"Are you really sure you're through with that homunculus stuff?" Alfons asked, after they had almost finished their first pint. He still thought Edward's decision on neglecting their purposes was a bit hasted.

"Definitely," Edward replied, without a moment's hesitation. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this thing. I should've known it. Robert Reinert has probably talked to my father in Thule Society and got the idea for the story through him. There's nothing more to it than that. He might not even have known that Hohenheim was my father at the time, since our names don't resemble. Stupid old man, gossiping about the other world to random people like that."

"I guess so," Alfons said. It wasn't a stupid reasoning at all. It was all very likely. Still, it seemed to Alfons that there was something about all this they had missed. But he didn't know what. Although, maybe he was simply looking for the answers of the wrong questions again. If Edward said there wasn't more to it, he was probably right. The matter was out of Alfons' hands, though not far from his mind.

They ordered a new round of beers and started talking about other things containing Einstein's theories, rocketry and books, and Alfons enjoyed that much more than talking about homunculi. He didn't even realize that the time flew away and it was getting late. Edward had drunk more than double of what he had, and he was starting to wonder if it was okay with Edward to keep drinking more. He was about to suggest that it was enough as Edward ordered another, but then his eyes got covered by two delicate hands and someone whispered in his ear.

"Hi, can you guess who I am?"

Alfons stiffened a little "No, I'm sorry," he replied. Although he recognized her voice. "I failed to ask you your name earlier."

She withdrew her hands and Alfons turned around. The girl from the reception desk smiled brightly at him. She had to be at least a couple of years older than him, but he guessed he looked a couple of years older than he was.

"I'm Pauline."

"Alfons," Alfons said.

She sat down beside him and stared at him so intently, Alfons started to feel awkward. He figured she expected him to buy her a drink. He could afford to buy her one, but would that make her think he was actually interested in her? His dilemma was undeniable, and he wished he could turn to Edward for help, but Edward seemed to be in a discussion with the bartender about whether or not it would be healthy for him to have another beer.

Alfons was a little influenced as well, and used it to beat down his own fear and met her eyes and a returning smile. "Would you like a drink? I'm not actually a wealthy guy, but I can offer you one at least." Plain honesty would never be considered wrong. Just too bad he couldn't tell her he was already taken by the drunken blond _guy _sitting next to him.

Pauline laughed. "I'll take that offer, thank you."

Alfons took the opportunity to turn to Edward and the bartender and interrupt their discussion. "My friend has had enough, but you can give that drink to the lady instead," he butted in.

The bartender nodded, and Edward stared at him like he had betrayed him.

When he turned back, Pauline sat even closer to him, and he started to sweat. What the hell could he say to bring her hopes down from the sky?

"Tell me, what do you do?" Pauline asked curiously.

He wasn't good with situations like these. It had been different with him and Edward; that had just sort of happened. Edward was blunt and never made him take a guess at what he wanted. Thinking of Edward, he hadn't heard a word of what Pauline had just said, and realized she stared at him like she expected an answer.

"Uh…" he said intelligently.

"Do you have some sort of profession?" she prodded further, to help him.

"Well uh... I'm a rocket scientist," Alfons wheedled.

"How about that, that's very interesting," Pauline said. "I've never met a rocket scientist before."

Alfons grinned sheepishly. "I guess, there's not that many of us. How about you?" he quickly threw the question back.

"I work here, as you already know," she said. "Sometimes I sing to entertain this lot. It's mostly the same people coming back every night. But I haven't seen you around here before."

"We're just on a short trip," Alfons said. "We're originally from Munich."

"Oh, that's pretty far away," Pauline mused. "You'd better make the best of it while you're here then." She winked again, and Alfons forced out another sheepish laugh.

"Yeah, I guess."

She was so close now, Alfons was starting to become afraid that he was in close proximity to be in kissing range and neither could he turn away or scoot backwards without seeming impolite. As discreetly as he could he quickly turned back to Edward as soon as she took a sip of her beer.

Edward met his look where he sat, resting his cheek in his palm on the bar desk and looked bored.

"_Help..."_ Alfons mimed desperately.

Edward scoffed. _"I told you,"_ he mimed back.

Alfons gave him another pleading look, before Pauline poked his attention back towards her. "How long are you staying here?"

"We're leaving tomorrow," Alfons said helplessly.

"Oh, I see. That's very short."

Alfons wondered how much more she was going to imply things before asking him directly if he wanted to go up to his room with her, when Edward finally decided to aid him.

The shorter blond moved off his seat and went past them towards the available seat next to Pauline. Alfons was under the impression of that he performed a slightly overdone reeling around on his feet until he literally flopped onto the stool. Pauline noticed him and didn't really seem to know if she was supposed to pay attention to him or not.

Edward leaned over the flat of the bar desk and pointed at Alfons with an unsteady index finger. "You are a lousy roommate, just so you know it," he slurred. He turned to Pauline. "Did you know? He always brings some girl home with him and hardly knows the function of a shower. I bet he's gotten laid with half of the chicks in Munich already, and he's only seventeen." He addressed Alfons again, before neither of them could reply. "And seriously, I thought you only liked _blonds_? That's what you've said."

"Edward!" Alfons barked. It wasn't _this _kind of help he had asked for...

Pauline looked a tad uncomfortable. "Uhm, excuse me, boys. I need the lady's room for a bit." She slipped off her stool and headed for the rest rooms.

"Have fun!" Edward called after her with a grin.

"Thanks," Alfons said dryly.

"No problem!" Edward simpered back. "Let's go before she changes her mind."

Alfons doubted it, but still figured it was time to leave. He paid for the rest of their drinks and supported Edward out of the pub. He still reeled a little, but not as bad as he had supposedly been while Pauline was there. Still, there was no doubt, he was influenced enough for today because he chortled and giggled a lot more than he normally would.

"You made me look like a fool," Alfons muttered grumpily. "I've never even _had_ sex with a girl before."

"That makes two of us," Edward said cheerfully. "I've had sex with _you_ though!"

Alfons was glad no one was in immediate hearing range. "I _know_ that, Edward."

When they had struggled their way up the rest of the stairs to the right floor, they were already kissing fervently. Alfons made sure that there still wasn't anyone around to witness them, while Edward seemed to be too engaged with his lips to pay anything else much heed. Somehow they managed to find the key, unlock the door to their room and lock themselves inside unnoticed. He got pushed down on the bed by an eager and sturdy blond, and Alfons tugged him closer to get some warmth. First he didn't understand why the room was so cold, but then he remembered that he had opened the window before they left. At least it didn't smell like hash smoke anymore. Regrettably he was too occupied with the other on top of him to walk across the room and close it. Before he even knew it Edward had tugged off half of his attire and vigorously buried a couple of his fingers neatly inside him. Alfons moaned and squirmed and dizzily searched for something in range short enough to kiss.

Hopefully no one would be able to hear them, although it wasn't likely. There were sounds coming from everywhere. Both on the street outside, the pub downstairs and probably some of the other occupied bedrooms at the old hotel as well.

His hand stroked gently over Edward's chest and stomach, lowering to the waistband of his trousers and unbuttoned it slowly, getting back at Edward for being so impatient all the time. Golden eyes flashed then, picking up the moonlight as they traveled his body. His mouth attacked the smooth area of his neck and plunged into his hand as Alfons finally reached his hardening length and stroked it fondly.

Despite still having the alcohol flushing through his system and making him eager, Edward was more loving and adorable than aggressive. He never neglected what mattered to him during sex, which was to make Alfons feel good. The way he left soft kisses on Alfons' collarbone, the gentleness of his touch and the burning affection in his golden eyes told of nothing less.

Soon they were rocking into a rhythmic motion, hurling each other into bliss, before Edward went lax on top of him and Alfons shuddered as his skin turned cold again. But he didn't want to get up to close the window. Too drowsy. His eyes were already closed and his mind slurred.

Edward moved carefully off of him and tugged the blanket free from underneath them both. Then he buried them both underneath it and fell into a deep doze.

--

Only a couple of hours later Alfons shuddered awake again, his nose feeling like it had frozen to his face. He sat up slowly with a groan, and touched his aching temple. How stupid were they, sleeping with the window open like that? He stepped out of bed, dragging on all his clothes as he did so. It was too cold to sleep undressed. He hurried across the room with socked feet and closed the window tightly. The pub still sounded cheery and alive. How they had even managed to fall asleep in all this noise was beyond him. It was dark and empty on the street outside. He turned away from the window as Edward woke as well, noticing that he wasn't lying beside him anymore.

"Alfons?"

"I was just closing the window."

"Oh damn, I knew I had forgotten something." He flopped down on the sheet again. "Come back and get warm again."

Alfons smiled. "Yeah." He hadn't even replied before he felt a shadow pass quickly behind him, and he whipped back around towards the window. His heart started beating rapidly fast. Had someone just been outside their window? It was possible, since there was a long balustrade of a fire escape outside. But who? A thief?

"What is it?" Edward said with a frown.

"I think I saw someone outside," Alfons answered slowly. "Wait there." He stepped back towards the window to check. It could be just some drunken hotel guests.

"No, you wait!" Edward said and hurriedly stepped into his trousers.

Alfons peeked out the window. He couldn't see anyone. That was odd. He had been sure someone had been there. He was about to turn back and go back to bed when the large shadow suddenly popped back up out of nowhere, and a large fists shot right towards his face from outside. Alfons was astute enough to jerk to the side of the window, just as the arm slammed through it, and as in slow motion spreading a million fragments of glass everywhere into the room.

"Alfons!" Edward shouted out.

In that same moment, Alfons wondered who would have enough strength to punch through a window like that? But then his mind forgot about that and rather focused on the very fact that someone was _attacking _them, and that they were in _danger_, and it would probably be best to _run._

The man was large and covered in black. He stepped inside the window with slow movements, compared to how fast his fist had smashed the window.

Alfons backed off as he stared at the new arrival with huge eyes. He was wearing a long hooded cloak, hiding his face away with the black hood. Who was this guy?

"Alfons, run!" Edward shouted at him. He had just managed to tug his shirt on and sprung forward to defend them both from the intruder.

Alfons let his eyes glance sharply over the floor in the dark. The floor was full of glass. If he moved, he might get his feet pierced.

"Edward, be careful of where you step," he warned, and Edward stopped with a small distance in front of the huge cloaked man.

"Who the hell are you?" Edward demanded. "What do you want?"

The man didn't give any vocal reply. Instead he shot forward and punched Edward directly in the stomach. Edward's eyes magnified from the abrupt encounter, his breath mercilessly knocked out of his chest with huge force.

He sank to his knees with a groan, and Alfons called after him, his voiced laced with worry. "Edward!" No one ever overpowered Edward. Was this guy even human...?

The cloaked man turned back to Alfons without paying Edward much more mind, and neither did he care about the fragments of sharp glass spread all over. His arm shot forward and hugged around Alfons' throat, faster than he could even move.

Alfons struggled against the hold, but it was futile. It was like trying to move a human sized brick. All the air got squeezed out of him, and before he knew it he was launched effortlessly off the ground with huge strength, like he weighed no more than a feather. Then the man turned back to the window and settled off with him, into the chilly night air.

Edward had barely gotten his breath back and lifted his gaze before both the cloaked man and Alfons were gone.

"Fuck!" he hissed and quickly turned for his shoes. He tugged them on in record time and jumped out of the window after the kidnapper.

Alfons squirmed and kicked where he was draped over the shoulder of the man. "Let me down!" How the hell had they even gotten down to the street from three storeys that fast? And what did this man want with him? He watched behind them, seeing Edward already on his way down from the window as well, climbing down the gutter.

"Edward!" he yelled.

Edward jumped down the last couple of metres and started running of full speed, feeling every trail of alcohol from that night draining out of him. "I'm coming for you, hold tight," he muttered. He was not going to let that bastard run away with Alfons and get away with it alive.

Alfons tried to scoot off the shoulder, but was held firmly in place with a large log of an arm. The man hadn't even spoken a word. "Uhm, excuse me sir," he tried. "Please put me down. This is starting to freak me out."

The man replied with merely a grunt, which was the closest to a vocal respond he had gotten so far.

"In that case," Alfons muttered. With all the strength he could gather in his leg, he shot his knee into the guy's chest, hoping to make him lose some of his breath enough that Alfons could get free. But it didn't seem like his effort had even been noticed by the one carrying him. The man kept trotting down the street with a firm grip around him.

"Where are we going?" Alfons wanted to know.

Suddenly the man stopped in the middle of the street, staring slowly from left to right, like he wasn't exactly sure himself which direction he was supposed to be heading.

Alfons scowled, and then got a new idea. He stretched his arm out and tugged at the hood covering the man's face. Maybe he would get a clue on who this man really was if he could see him properly.

The man reacted with abrupt anger and slapped Alfons' hand away, followed by quickly throwing his prey to the cold, hard ground. Alfons crashed into the asphalt and rolled onto his stomach, gasping and coughing after his breath.

The hood had slipped a little, but he never got the chance to see the man before he adjusted his hood back into place.

The ground was cold against his chest through his thin shirt. Alfons' vision was fogged as he gazed dazedly up at the man approaching him again. He must have hit his head in the fall... His shoulder hurt too. He just wanted to sleep.

"Hold it right there, you bastard!" a voice suddenly called angrily from behind them. "Leave him the fuck alone, or I swear I'll beat you into a marble!" Edward stopped some meters away from the cloaked man, panting after his ragged breath, but never letting his sharp golden eyes off of him. "If you want to fight, I'll be more than happy to take you on."

The cloaked man grunted, discontented, and backed away slowly, like he understood and wanted to avoid another fight. Then he hurriedly continued running into an alley behind Alfons, disappearing into the darkness of the shadows.

Edward considered following him, but disposed of the thought immediately, deciding to guarantee Alfons' safety first. He hurried to him and kneeled by his side. "Alfons! Are you hurt?"

Alfons stared hazily at him, still lying on his stomach. "I'm okay." Edward helped him up to sit on his knees, and Alfons flinched and touched his aching head. When he looked at his hand again, it was coated with blood.

"Damn it, you got yourself an ugly blow to the head," Edward drawled. "That bastard!"

Alfons stared befuddled at his hand. "It must have happened when he dropped me." He trembled a little, both from the cold and the shock. Then he realized he didn't even have shoes on.

Edward noticed too and took off his own shoes and motioned for him to put them on instead. "Here. We should find a doctor in case you've got a concussion or something."

Alfons accepted slowly. "But now your feet will get cold too."

"Don't worry about that. I only have one flesh foot; the other one doesn't feel the cold." Edward supported him back up on a pair of unsteady feet, and he brought Alfons' arm over his shoulders. "Let's go find a doctor now."

Alfons protested timidly. "I'm fine... I just need some sleep."

"Nope, we're seeing a doctor first," Edward countered stubbornly. "You stay awake for now."

Alfons sighed and leaned against him a bit. "What the hell happened anyway? Who was that guy?"

"Hell if I know," Edward muttered. "Did you see his face at all?"

"No. I tried, but then he threw me to the ground."

"Hmm," Edward said thoughtfully. "Still, he didn't seem very intelligent. Only strong."

"He reminded me a little bit of..." Alfons started slowly, but didn't want to say it.

"Of what?" Edward asked.

"He kind of... reminded me of the homunculus in the movie we saw. Inhuman strength and inability to feel..."

Edward frowned. "That can't be... Homunculus doesn't exist in this world. I've seen the parallel of one today, and he was a real human. Besides, the homunculi I used to know were different. At least they talked coherently."

"Then what was _he_?" Alfons asked, an underlying hint of anxiety laced in his tone.

"Probably just a madman," Edward reasoned. "I'll make sure he won't touch you ever again."

Alfons smiled timidly, thinking it was kind of cute that Edward was so protective of him. "Thanks for saving me... Two times in one night."

Edward quickly brushed it off. "Don't mention it. Now, tell me if you see a doctor somewhere we can get you to."

--

Early the next morning they were sitting on the train on their way back to Munich. The landscape blurred away in front of Alfons' vision as he stared hazily out the window, his mind exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous night.

Edward had found some people last night and asked them for the way to the nearest open doctor's office. Fortunately it had only been a few blocks away. The doctor had patched up Alfons' wound, prescribed him some painkillers and told him to rest for a couple of days.

When they had arrived back at the hotel that night they had gotten a new room and the police had been investigating around the area. Edward sent Alfons up to the room to rest while he talked with one of the officers and described the culprit.

Even if Alfons was grateful, he hadn't been able to get a single moment of rest, at least not alone. He felt a little nervous that the man in the cloak would come back. He still wondered why he had taken him. Why _him?_

When Edward had returned he at least had had a warm body to cling onto and Edward had comfortingly stroked his back until he fell into a light sleep. And even if Alfons had said he wasn't able to fall asleep on trains, he didn't find it that hard this time.

He awoke hours later from the uneven lurching of the train car, his head propped on Edward's metallic shoulder and his eyes blurred and stingy.

"Hey," Edward said softly. "You alive?"

Alfons chuckled in a low tone. "Yeah. What's the time?"

"2:30 PM. We'll be in Munich soon."

"Good," Alfons murmured. He had started to miss Munich. It would be nice to come home and be away from maniacs.

Unfortunately it wouldn't be that easy. As soon as they went off the train, Alfons understood that something was terribly wrong. The station was booked with police cars everywhere. Had there been an accident?

He went close to Edward's side as they headed towards the guarded exit from the station. It seemed like the police were combing through everyone who left the trains.

"What's going on here?" Edward muttered.

"No idea." Then he saw Officer Hughes, who noticed them as well. He immediately signalled some of his police colleagues and stepped forward to meet them.

"Edward Elric," he said. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me to the police station."

Edward and Alfons frowned and exchanged a look. Had this something to do with the assault they had experienced in Berlin?

"What is it?" Edward asked, just as one of the police men fastened a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. Edward was startled and immediately protested, but the man held onto his arm to keep him in place.

"Hughes, what the hell?"

"I'm sorry about this," Hughes said. "You'll find out at the station. Just come with us quietly now, please. You can come too, Alfons."

Edward stopped struggling and scowled at him. Hughes looked strange. What was wrong here? "Fine," he said slowly, and Alfons nodded nervously. Was Edward really being arrested? What for?

They followed after Hughes towards one of the police cars.

At the station Alfons was directed to wait while they took Edward in for interrogation. He felt slightly anxious. He had a feeling that this involved something else completely than what they had encountered in Berlin. But what?

Edward stepped silently after Hughes with his hands restrained in iron in front of him, doubting only more and more his awareness of what was going on at all. He had already disposed of the thought of it concerning the matter in Berlin. So what could it be? When had he done anything to be arrested for? Had something else happened while they were away?

"In here, please," Hughes said, and held a door open for Edward to enter. "Take a seat."

Edward stepped cautiously into the small room and sat down on a chair by a table.

"Mr. Elric," Hughes said formally as he closed the door. "Maybe you can explain where you were around 11 AM yesterday."

Edward scowled circumspectly at him. "What is this all about?"

"Just answer my questions, please."

"Yesterday 11 AM," Edward repeated slowly. "I was visiting a man called Robert Reinert."

Hughes looked at him in disbelief for a second. "What business did you have with him?"

Edward tensed. "Nothing special, really. I had seen his movie the day before and wanted to speak to him about it, but I'm done with all that now."

"You were seeing him about the movie?"

"So what?"

"Well, what do you think of the movie?" Hughes asked, seeming to ask the questions completely randomly to Edward.

"It was interesting. Look, I don't know what you're asking me these questions for. Care to fill me in, as a friend?" he prodded. Hughes was someone he knew quite well, after all. Edward's eyes narrowed at his silence. "Has something happened to Robert Reinert?" Maybe there was something really serious going on here, after all.

Hughes sighed deeply. "You know he has received a lot of enemies because of the manuscript of his last movie, don't you?"

"I'm not too familiar with that, but I guess I've heard some rumours about it," Edward said casually. "People left the hall before the movie was over. It was said someone even went mad."

"Yes, that's right. Some people have been committed into the asylum after seeing it. So it's not really strange that he has some enemies."

"That doesn't explain why I'm here," Edward muttered. "Or what has happened to him."

Hughes scowled and sat down on the chair opposite of Edward, thoughtfully rubbing his forehead. "Apparently, Robert Reinert has disappeared. There was blood in his apartment, but no body. Although it seemed to be a fatal injury."

"What?" Edward stifled, his eyes widening. "Is he dead?"

"We don't know yet. For all we know, someone killed him and hid his body. The police hope you can give us further details. We found this." He held up a small book with a leather cover. It was handwritten, and Hughes held up a page in front of Edward's nose. "This was written apparently shortly after you visited him this morning."

Edward let his eyes scan the page.

"_I had a visitor today, a young man by the name of Edward Elric. His eyes were as golden and dangerous as the sun. His limbs were of sharp metal like knives longing for my death. I need to be very careful, or else he'll try to kill me as many others right now. My movie wasn't supposed to cause all this, but I had to show the world the truth ..."_

Edward's eyes widened. "Did he think I wanted to kill him...?" His cuffed hands shook lightly in his lap and his face darkened. "Hey Hughes... Is that handwriting the same as in the rest of that diary?"

Maes Hughes nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"So now I'm suspected for murder?" Edward deduced in disbelief. "That's ridiculous! Alfons was with me the whole time. I went straight to Berlin after visiting him, and then everything was fine. He was even the one who directed me to go there."

"Are your metal limbs sharp, Edward?"

"For the love of... _No!_" Edward held up his metal hand. "See for yourself. It's not made to cut anything."

"The situation is unclear," Hughes said. "Why did you leave towards Berlin after seeing him?"

"To visit Ufa," Edward said. "I talked to Otto Rippert as well, the director of the same picture. He can probably confirm that it was all innocent curiosity about the movie. I haven't killed anyone."

"Apparently," Hughes said slowly. "Otto Rippert is missing as well. No trace of him anywhere since last night. After you visited him."

Edward stared at him. "You're kidding me..."

"No, I am not. Do you happen to know anything about it?"

"No," Edward said sternly. "And I don't know why Reinert would write like that about me in his diary. There was no such tension between us when I met him."

"What about your meeting with Otto Rippert? Was there any sort of tension there?"

Edward became awfully quiet at that. How could he explain? He had a suspicion that he had stared at the guy like he had wanted to murder him, although he couldn't remember for sure. Alfons had done a good job smoothing over it, but still. All he had seen when he laid his eyes on that man had been that bastard, Shou Tucker.

"Not going to answer?" Hughes sighed.

"There were some issues," Edward admitted. "But I don't have anything to do with his disappearance. Hell... Alfons and I even got attacked last night. The police in Berlin can confirm that. What if that guy has something to do with everything?"

Hughes frowned. "What guy?"

"I never saw his face," Edward said sullenly. "But he attacked us and then tried to run off with Alfons. He had this incredible physical strength. I managed to stop him, but then he ran away. Alfons got some minor injuries from the incident."

"I see. Could you describe this attacker?"

"He wore a big, long and black coat with a hood over his head," Edward said. "About 180 centimetres tall. That's all I know. Neither of us saw his face."

"I see. What we're completely certain of, is that the blood in the apartment belongs to Robert Reinert. It has already been confirmed," Hughes said.

"I know nothing about that," Edward stated.

"Then, do you know of anyone who does?"

Edward became silent for a while. "No. Unless that hooded man does. But he didn't say anything coherent."

Hughes nodded slowly. "Alright. That should be it for now." He rose from his chair.

Edward raised too, his cuffed hands slamming down on the table. "Don't say you're going to lock me up, Hughes... I haven't done anything wrong." He couldn't let this happen. He had nothing to do with this! Alfons would be worried if he got locked up in jail. And if that black hooded man had something to do with all this, what if he tried to target Alfons again? Who would be there to protect him if Edward couldn't?

"For now," Hughes said, "you can go, since I'm fortunately able to pull some strings. And because I certainly do not hope it's you who is the culprit, Edward."

Edward sighed in relief.

"However," Hughes said. "You're not allowed to leave the city. Otherwise, you'll get towed right in and kept here until we can figure this out. Is that clear?"

Edward nodded with a scowl. "As glass." Even with these restrictions he was relieved that they didn't throw him in jail. He wouldn't be of any use to Alfons in there.

"Good." The officer stepped to him and released him from the handcuffs. "I'll call you back in when I hear anything new," Maes Hughes said. "Get some rest until then."

"Like I can..." Edward muttered.

Hughes laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear."

Edward nodded curtly and let Hughes follow him to the door, and the rest of the way out to the reception.

There, Alfons Heiderich sat in a chair in the waiting area, looking very lost and nervous. He gazed up as he noticed someone come, and jumped up from his seat the same instant he saw who it was. "Edward!"

Edward gave him a small wave and a soft smile. That moron had been worried already. "You could've just gone home, you know..."

"As if!" Alfons shot back. "Are you okay?"

Edward nodded. "For now. I'll tell you everything once we get out."

The pale sun lit up their way through the cracks in the thin clouds as they headed down an empty road from the centre of town. Since it was Sunday there weren't many people around. Most of the stores were closed. The air was chilly, but Alfons could only worry about Edward. He was enlightened about the small interrogation, briefly.

"So... now they suspect you of being behind two disappearances, possibly deaths?" he surmised in a low voice.

"It appears that way," Edward said darkly. "Though, it seems to me that someone is pushing all the blame on me, while being an enemy of that movie's creators."

"But who?" Alfons wondered.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Edward said, feeling annoyed. "It seems like there's still some more to this strange movie business." His face suddenly shifted to an all too familiar determination, and Alfons already knew what his next words would be.

"If the police can't find out who it is, _I_ will."

Alfons smiled. He was glad to have the old relentless and irrational Edward Elric back.


	3. The One with Dire Intentions

**CHAPTER 3: The One with Dire Intentions**

--

The evening was cold and dark, the sky heavy with black cotton and occasional droning thunder. It was the perfect night for some danger or trouble, which they of course already were in. After leaving the police station they had gone home for a couple of hours and rested up. And now, the two of them were back in front of the house they had visited Saturday morning, where the recently vanished novelist Robert Reinert lived. There was no one there now, neither police nor inquisitive neighbours. But that didn't make this more appealing or officially permitted, in Alfons Heiderich's opinion. They had just broken into someone else's home.

_Why hadn't they just stayed at home?_

"I'm not so sure if this is a good idea," Alfons insisted weakly. "This is a crime scene! And apparently they believe you did it, so why are we here again?" _Wouldn't showing up here create more suspicion towards Edward?_

Edward stopped, tilting his head sideways slightly. "You are the only one who knows that I'm innocent, aren't you?"

"I guess," Alfons replied shakily. Thinking that Edward had attacked and possibly murdered Robert Reinert was of course ridiculous, and he had been together with Edward all this time.

"I want to check this place out myself for leads." Edward clenched his fists together. "Or better, if the actual culprit comes back here, I want to be here to catch him."

Alfons stared stifled at him, knowing that the anxiety he felt was written all over his blue eyes. But he knew Edward was right. If they didn't find the real killer, Edward might be charged and punished for a crime he didn't commit.

Edward turned back forward, observing the living room. There were large stains of crimson on the floor. He stepped into the living room and kneeled to the floor by the large spot, while scanning the rest of the room for more of them. But there was only one large one. There was no sign of a struggle. The attack must have happened so fast that Reinert didn't have a chance to defend himself. Edward mused down to the floor. "There's enough blood to assume that Reinert ended up unconscious, if not dead, but there's no marks that indicate that the culprit dragged his victim away after knocking him out."

"Yeah," Alfons agreed. "That means he must have been quite strong, and carried him away."

"Like that bastard did with you," Edward muttered. "There's a connection there. But one thing bugs me. Robert Reinert was attacked and disappeared after 11 AM yesterday, almost right after we left. Then someone attacked and possibly kidnapped Otto Rippert around 7:30 PM on the same day, apparently right after we left as well. How could the culprit get rid of Reinert, and then get his ass over to Berlin that fast?"

Alfons scowled. Edward was right. That didn't fit.

"He could only have made it if he was on the same train as us, but then he wouldn't have had the time to visit Robert Reinert, attack him and then hide his body," Edward reasoned.

"Then he's probably not alone," Alfons said weakly. They were probably right in assuming that there were more of them. But who were these people?

Suddenly something creaked somewhere in the house, and they both froze. Alfons whipped his head around, but even if he was sure the sound had come from somewhere behind him there was nothing there.

"Ghost?" he squeaked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Edward muttered, rising slowly to his feet and stared suspiciously towards the same spot as him. "Be quiet."

Alfons took a deep breath, attempting to calm down his now racing heart, feeling it pounding in his ears. There was not another sound to hear. Edward moved quickly passed him back towards the hall and stopped there, poised like an alley cat and his sharp eyes piercing every corner for the potential threat. "Someone's here, I'm sure."

Alfons swallowed. The killer? Kidnapper? Or a ghost? Or the police?

Either way, he was still not convinced that staying here would make it much better. No matter who was here with them somewhere, they'd better hide from him and surprise the other intruder _(or run away, but the latter was of course unthinkable to Edward)._ He stepped quickly towards Edward to tell him to hurry up and go, but then he stepped over a rug and stumbled clumsily forward. The rug followed with his foot and he fell to his knees on the floor. Luckily he managed to catch himself with his palms before he hurt himself badly.

Edward rushed to his side. "Are you all right?"

Alfons breathed heavily through his nose. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."

Edward lifted his gaze, sighing in relief. Then he noticed the floor. Something was different with it at the spot underneath the rug that had been there a second ago. He grinned. "Bingo. Alfons, you did it."

"I did what?" Alfons asked in dread.

Edward grabbed the mat and threw it away, off from the living room floor. Underneath it was a hidden door. Alfons stared in awe. "The writer had a hidden door?"

"Seems like it." Edward was already opening it, and Alfons forgot everything about ghosts for a moment.

"Wait, it might not be safe."

"We'll find out," Edward replied, as he shoved the heavy door open.

They stared down into the dark, silent hole. Alfons couldn't even see the bottom, but a ladder was hanging down from the opening, pointing straight down into the unknown. This was crazy.

"Are you really going down there?"

"Of course I am! There might be a clue down there, and it might be exactly what we're looking for."

Alfons wondered what the hell they were looking for again, _(a body?)_ but as always – there was no way of turning down Edward's curiosity and persistency. He wondered if the police had known about the door, but it didn't seem likely since it had been covered up until now.

Edward stepped down on the wooden ladder underneath. "Wait here," he said.

"No way," Alfons squeaked. "I'm not staying up here alone."

Edward reconsidered it. "Alright, come then."

Alfons followed as quietly as he could, even though, if there was a person down there, he would already know they were there, of course. That didn't make things better. There was no light down in the basement, or whatever it was called. A small stream of light from the door in the roof reached down, but wasn't much help. Edward dropped down on the ground, quickly followed by Alfons.

Golden eyes searched around the darkness, while they were both listening for any sound.

"Stop hiding and show yourself already," Edward said out loud, assuming that someone was stalking them from the darkness. For all he knew, the sound they had heard earlier could in fact have come from below. He took further strides forward to show off his absence of fear.

In contradiction, Alfons was edgy. Everything seemed almost… _too_ quiet. He had only gotten as far as thinking that thought before one set of cold fingers closed sharply around his throat and squeezed. He made an abrupt choked cry out in the dark, and shot his elbow behind him to get a punch at his attacker. Even if it hit, it didn't seem to have any effect on him, because he simply gripped harder and his other cold hand pressed against his mouth and nose, blocking every sound he might try to utter.

Edward turned abruptly at the first sounds of the struggle and gasped. "Alfons!" Quickly he started back to aid his friend.

Alfons squirmed and muffled his protests into the cold hand that pressed at his mouth. He had felt nothing before he had been grabbed, and the thought disturbed him. How could someone move that soundless? It reminded him sickly of the assault in Berlin.

"Let go of him you fucking creep!" Edward bellowed, and a punching metal fist shot forward right above Alfons' head. The grip around him loosened, but it was replaced soon after by an elbow chokehold. Alfons gasped and kicked behind him, aiming for the attacker's knees. But the man didn't even seem to sense it.

Alright, this wasn't fun anymore. This monster tried to kill him, and he had barely reacted of either Edward's punch or his struggle. Not even a sound. How could any person act like a punch of metal to the face directed by _Edward_ was nothing?

The other hand shot forwards at Edward's neck straight on, and squeezed. Edward gasped and clenched both of his hands around the assaulting hand. Alfons stared at him in shock. This guy was even overthrowing Edward, not to mention both of them at the same time. He knew of only one possible person it could be.

A low growl sounded behind him, and a warm breath trickled his ear. It made him shudder.

It was the same low grunt from last night. He looked down and got a glimpse of a long, black cloak.

"Shit," he breathed. What bothered him the most was how inhuman and animalistic this person seemed.

"You again, huh?" Edward muttered. He squirmed and scooted out of the grip, his eyes describing that he had come to the same conclusion of his inhumanity. The cloaked man wasn't wearing his hood this time. But it was still too dark to see his face clearly. "Release him, you creep!" he demanded. "What the hell are you?"

The man growled disgruntled and stepped forward to reach for Edward again. But this time Edward was quicker and ducked out of the way, luring the man into standing directly underneath the light of the opening above them in the ceiling. There the pale living room light revealed more details of his features.

His skin was inhumanly pallid and his skin looked scale-like akin to a reptile. His eyes were empty and dark, like two deep holes and it seemed like every intelligent part of his brain was out of function. But despite that, he somehow looked familiar...

Edward's golden eyes hardened. "Come on and talk, you bastard!" He refused to give up. "Are you the one who killed Robert Reinert?"

The sound of the name made the man quirk a little, and then he suddenly tightened the grip around Alfons' throat. Alfons gasped out. This man's strength was ridiculous. "Edward, do something!" he managed.

Edward looked around in desperation, until he found a long iron pipe on the floor. He picked it up and leapt towards the man at light speed with the pipe in hand. With all his strength he slammed the vertical piece of iron into the man's skull, making the head rip and blood flutter to the ceiling.

The man growled again and finally dropped Alfons as he sagged backwards to the shadows on the wall. Alfons fell to his knees, touching his abused throat in disbelief. He had nearly lost consciousness from lack of air. Edward dropped the pipe and stepped to him, dragging him further away from the man on the other side of the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked fast.

Alfons nodded shakily. "Are you sure he's not a homunculus?"

"I don't know anymore," Edward admitted. "But he fits the qualities."

"What should we do?" Alfons asked, getting to his feet. "We can't let him hurt anyone else."

"I slammed him in the head with an iron pipe and he hardly flinched," Edward pointed out crossly.

"Then maybe we should call someone?" Alfons suggested.

"Like who? The police? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"What about Officer Hughes?" Alfons said. "I know he believes you're innocent."

Edward hesitated. Then suddenly the man recovered slightly from the confusion and headed towards them again. Edward stepped in front of Alfons to protect him, when suddenly the lights came on and blinded not only them, but the monstrous man as well.

Alfons covered his eyes from the sudden yellow light and Edward squinted around to see where the source of the light came from.

The cloaked man hid his face and growled in irritation. He was _not _the one who had turned on the lights. Then who was it?

Alfons made a sidelong gaze and spotted another man. He had dark-greyish hair and looked very familiar. But that wasn't what worried Alfons the most. It was the gun.

Shortly after, he heard the sound of the gun which was powered by air. Therefore it wasn't as loud as a normal gun would've sounded. "Edward..." he whispered, but then to his shock he noticed that Edward was sinking to his knees with a red dart arrow sticking out of his chest.

"Alfons... run!" Edward managed before he went sideways down to the floor.

Alfons stood stiffened and stared at him. No way he would run away and leave Edward. He looked up again, seeing the man reloading the tranquilizer gun.

"Robert Reinert..." Alfons said shakily. "What are you doing?" To his annoyance he found himself completely immobile already, mostly out of shock because Edward had gone out cold. These people were overpowering even _Edward_, so what the hell could_ he_ do?

_What was going on? Was he dreaming?_

"Go to sleep, Alfons Heiderich," the man who was supposed to be disappeared replied. "Goodnight." He shot a second time, before Alfons could say anything more. The small arrow struck his shoulder, and before he knew it his eyes were rolling back into his skull and he unwillingly gave his mind and body away, over to blackness.

--

A sudden splash of ice cold water woke him up. It was the most uncomfortable awakening he had ever experienced in his life. His body ached and his vision swam, along with a sense of unwelcoming nausea bubbling in his throat. Alfons lifted his head up hazily with a soft groan. He focused straight at a blurry and tall man with four heads and an equal amount of notepads in his hands. Alfons blinked a couple of times as the man curved over him and forced his head up to shoot him in the eye with the sharp light of a small torch. Then he seemed satisfied, let go of him and eagerly jotted something down on his notepad.

"You'll be alright, Mr. Heiderich, just sit and relax right there while you wait."

Alfons was relieved his number of heads and notepads had decreased to one of each now, and recognized him immediately. Robert Reinert!

He finally became more aware of where he was and tried to move, his heart starting to beat faster as he realized he could hardly move at all. Both of his hands were tied together to the chair by cable ties of plastic behind his back. His legs were fastened with wire ties as well. Even if he struggled experimentally, it was impossible to snap them unless they were cut with something sharp. The more he tried to get free, the more they chafed painfully at his skin. And what had the man just said? Wait? _Wait for what?_

More importantly, why was Robert Reinert here seemingly unhurt when he was missing, and presumed dead? And where was...?

Alfons snapped his head around anxiously in search for Edward. The room, apparently the basement underneath the house, was a very spacious cellar, he noticed. In the middle of the room stood a long table with colourful liquids in all kinds of beakers, and shelves with books and papers as well as notes fluttering everywhere. What the hell was this? A secret laboratory

of some sort?

Robert Reinert had turned away from him and had his attention elsewhere, standing by a table placed beside an odd square machine with a tube of crimson liquid attached to it. Alfons didn't like this much. He kept staring around for Edward and finally found him by twisting his head almost completely behind him.

"Edward!" he whispered, not daring speaking too loud. He didn't want to be shot by the tranquilizer gun again.

Edward was tied up to a chair as well, his head hanging forward. He was still out cold. Alfons felt a pang of worry and twisted his hands around the small loops of thin bonds behind his back. If he could only get one hand free... But his effort was in vain. He dropped his head in defeat, and then noticed that his chair had wheels. Alfons got an idea, and started pushing himself leisurely backwards on the chair by using his tip toes; which fortunately could reach down to solid ground even while bound.

He made sure the man in the other side of the room didn't turn around to stop him, and continued until he was right next to Edward's unconscious form.

"Edward," he whispered again. "Please, be alright. Wake up." He carefully bumped his knee, causing the older to stir.

Edward groaned a bit and shifted on the chair. He lifted his head and blinked at Alfons as his vision started to clear out. "Fuck..." he muttered. "That guy got us... How cheap."

Alfons sighed in relief. He seemed to be okay despite the grim circumstances. Edward sent him a sidelong glance. "Alfons, are you hurt?"

Alfons shook his head. "I'm okay." He lowered his voice. "But I don't understand. Obviously Reinert had neither disappeared or died after all, and now this. What does that mean?"

"He's up to something, alright," Edward agreed. "But at least that should prove I didn't kill the bastard."

"That's right."

A low growl behind Alfons startled them both, and they turned to the direction of the big man with scaly skin. He grunted warningly again, but didn't step closer.

Alfons couldn't help shaking as he stared at the beast. Who the hell was he, and how did he end up looking like that?

"Alfons," Edward mumbled under his breath. "Does he look familiar to you?"

Alfons stared from Edward and back towards the man. Now that he mentioned it, some things seemed quite familiar with him, but Alfons didn't remember what. Whatever had happened to him, it had deformed his features too much to recognize his face.

"Ah, I see both of my test objects have finally awakened," a voice behind Alfons said. "But I can't allow you to whisper to each other for now."

Alfons fidgeted nervously. _Test objects?_

Edward glowered at Tim Marcoh's doppelganger as he advanced and pulled Alfons' chair backwards, away from him. "What the hell are you doing?" Edward demanded. "Why am I being accused of killing you?"

Reinert grinned. "You see, Edward Elric, since our last meeting I've been working very hard. It's an interesting project I've been developing for months. I see you've already met my first result of it – Mr. Rippert."

Edward gawked and stared at the monstrous man. "_Otto_ Rippert?"

Alfons' eyes widened at the beast of a man as well, and now that he was saying it – that's why he had seemed so familiar. He still had some of Otto Rippert's features left, but not many.

"Yes," Reinert chortled. "You've figured this much out by now, I hope? This is the first homunculus made by man."

"Homunculus... How?" Edward scowled. "What the hell did you do to him?"

Robert Reinert scoffed and approached slowly. "You see, I followed you two when you headed off to Ufa, and soon after you left I had Mr. Rippert alone and injected my latest experiment into him. As you already have noticed, the result is tremendous – except for the lack of human features. He obeys only to me. My goal is to create a homunculus with the perfect human features and mind, just like the one in my movie."

Alfons couldn't believe it. What the hell had Mr. Rippert been injected with that had made him like this?

Edward snorted spitefully. "That isn't a homunculus! They are made through alchemy. There's no way alchemy has been performed in this world."

"That's where you're wrong," Reinert declared, stopping right in front of Edward and crossed his arms. "My technology has been developed through years with studying occult magic, or what you're calling alchemy. Thule Society has provided me the necessary information and tools, but of course, they don't know about it. I've kept my research and results to myself."

"Thule Society again, huh?" Edward muttered. That organization kept showing up everywhere. "So, you know my father too then? He was part of that organization. I've figured he gave you some inspiration for the movie."

Reinert laughed. "You could say that. And thanks to your father, I got the most important ingredient for my research."

Ed flattened his expression and arched an eyebrow in return. "Which is?"

"This." Robert Reinert proudly held up a small glass tube with some sort of red gelatinous liquid inside. It reminded Edward sickly of Tim Marcoh's red stone in fluid form. But it couldn't be…

Edward narrowed his eyes at the beaker with crimson. "Where the hell did you get that?"

Alfons was confused. "What is it?"

Reinert turned away from Edward and sauntered back towards his work top. "The answer to those questions is a national secret. But, either way, both of you already know too much so I can let you go." Reinert's lips split into a grin as he leaned against the desk, showing two rows of yellow teeth.

Alfons shuddered and twisted nervously from hearing those words. He wouldn't let them walk out of there alive?

"That's right," Edward said, sounding rather unaffected and mostly curious. "You don't have anything to lose by telling us, so go ahead."

Reinert stifled a short laugh. "You're very interested, I understand. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since you are son of Van Hohenheim."

Edward narrowed his eyes into a deep scowl. "You failed to mention your acquaintance with my father the first time we met."

"I left it out, since it would probably have led you too close to the truth about my research. I needed to preoccupy you with other things while I faked my disappearance and took a private plane to Berlin."

"So that's how you managed to get there so fast," Edward frowned. "And your diary said conveniently that I was after your life."

"In order to keep you busy when you got back from Berlin," Reinert commented with a diverted snigger.

"What the hell do you want with us?" Edward demanded. He looked like he wanted to chop his head off with his prosthetic.

"You'll find out in due time," Reinert reassured. "For now, just relax and watch." He went towards Mr. Rippert with a needle in his hand. The bigger man looking like a monster had been standing by the wall some metres away from Edward until now. "Mr. Rippert, lend me your hand if you please."

The man in the form of a monster reached out his hand to him.

Alfons scowled at them, remembering how much Mr. Rippert had seemed to dislike Robert Reinert when they met him at Ufa. "He's... obeying him without even blinking," he commented slowly.

"Even if it's obvious that he's going to..." Edward started, and then shuddered as Reinert inserted the needle into Mr. Rippert's arm.

"His blood will be very useful to me. I created him in order to have this source," Robert Reinert said. "A finished mix of human blood and the solution I injected him with. The result is a completely newfound solution." He filled the needle's tube with Otto Rippert's blood.

Edward scowled at him. "Tell me, what is that national secret you mentioned earlier? Is that where you got the original solution from?"

"Indeed." Robert Reinert picked up the tube with the original red liquid. "This is what made Mr. Rippert a homunculus. The reason is simple. This is blood of a real homunculus, from _your _world."

Edward's eyes widened. "You know about my world?"

"Yes," the writer confirmed. "The homunculus has the form of a large dragon. I tapped some of its blood when the Society wasn't paying attention, knowing I could use it for my experiments."

"A dragon..." Edward repeated in a whisper. "Envy..."

Envy had transformed into the shape of the Ouroboros before he went into the Gate the last time he had seen him. And now he had gotten himself involved with people of this world?

"Now, my latest solution will be a new one," Robert Reinert said, holding the needle with Mr. Rippert blood next to the tube with Envy's. "By mixing these two, I will get a solution where the blood of the homunculus is already accustomed to a human's. The result will hopefully be a much better homunculus. One that looks completely human, but also gains the speed and strength of one. A real superhuman."

Alfons and Edward exchanged looks. This was beyond anything they had imagined when they first started this journey. The problem was to stop him before he went that far.

Robert Reinert then injected Mr. Rippert's blood into the cap of the tube and inserted the crimson substance into the other, combining them. When he was done, he pulled out the empty tube and replaced the cap on the other, looking very pleased with himself. "There. And now, the question is, which one of you will be my improved test product?"

Edward's eyes widened in realization, and so did Alfons'. _Did he really intend to…?_

The man scoffed and went over to Edward again, eyeing him closely. "You could've made a really useful homunculus. Your limbs are quite fascinating; just imagine the extra strength you would get for free. But that is the downfall about it too. Your body would not handle it very well since you have an incomplete body. And your strong temper is also an issue; I might not be able to control your mind as easily as with Mr. Rippert. That's why I didn't necessarily need you, and let everyone think you responsible for my death so I could get easier access to my other potential subject."

Edward gave him a stare so venomous that if he glared hard enough, the man might drop dead. "Reinert," he said, his voice sounding like a storm coming. "If you think you can get away with this inhuman and immoral crime, think again. I'll beat the living shit out of you if—"

"That's what I mean, you probably have a lot of fighting experience and training as a result of those limbs, I reckon," the writer said, ignoring Edward's further oral insults. "It's a pity, I could even have developed your metal limbs to use them for different purposes. You would definitely have been useful to me."

"Fuck you, you crazy bastard!"

"Therefore," Reinert continued and turned away from him, facing Alfons instead. "It's good there are two of you."

Edward's eyes widened. "Fucking creep, you don't dare touch him, or I'll kick your brain mass out of your head and feed it to the maggots!" His threats were constantly coming to further creative levels.

Robert Reinert stopped in front of Alfons, cupped his cheek and straightened his head up. "Not as well built, but you're not scrawny either. And you're taller—"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING TOO SMALL TO BE AN EXPERIMENT OF YOUR INSANE RESEARCH CRAP?!"

"—yes, I think you'll do," Reinert concluded and let go of Alfons' face, nonchalantly ignoring the rant coming from Edward. "I had already decided, really. That's why I told Mr. Rippert to pick you up in Berlin. But unfortunately he was unsuccessful." He smiled wickedly. "Good thing you are such intelligent and curious young men, and went straight to me."

Alfons stared horrified at him as the writer went to the table by the machine and started preparing it. Alfons swallowed as he looked closer. The table made it possible to restrain a person down to it, arms and legs and stomach. Alfons started associating it all with Dr. Frankenstein. And soon he'd become the Frankenstein monster apparently.

"I could've tried it on both of you if I had had enough solution left, but I can't steal too much of it at once, so unfortunately I have only enough for one more experiment, for now," Robert Reinert said. "Besides, if this one succeeds, it'll be better than any other developed homunculi in this world. It will be a human with less monstrous features and more intelligence, but still under my control."

Edward was going wild in his restraints. "I won't let you do it, you freak!"

Alfons gazed over at Edward, feeling scared, but what could they do? As long as they were tied up like this, they didn't have much of a chance. But if Reinert was to cut over the wires and untie him to restrain him to the table – which he would have to do to move him – perhaps he'd have a chance to take him down. Reinert was an older man, and his movements were slow. Alfons had learned self defence from Edward for almost a year. If he depended on the act of surprise, he might be able to take him down. Obviously Reinert felt he wasn't very physically competent—as compared to Edward, that is.

Edward met Alfons' eyes, concern written in those deep orbs of amber. Alfons tried to mollify him with his look, but didn't know if he succeeded, even if Edward had already figured out a plan. His eyes moved to a pair of scissors on the table a couple of metres to his left, and Alfons caught on. If he managed to confuse the writer enough to get a couple of metres head start, he'd have time to snatch the scissors and run to Edward, cut his wires, and then they could disarm Reinert together before he managed to sedate them again. The only problem was Mr. Rippert. He might try to stop them too. Though, right now Mr. Rippert was busy standing in a corner, occasionally taking a pirouette around his own axis while staring mindlessly up in the ceiling.

Reinert headed back to Alfons' chair. "Now," he said. "Let's move you to the table over there and get started."

Both Edward and Alfons tensed, and Alfons readied himself to spring up as soon as his wires were cut. But then Edward shouted. "Wait!"

Alfons frowned at him questionably, but then he turned and saw the small handkerchief in Reinert's hand, and Alfons understood. He'd get sedated before he was untied. He would never be able to fight!

"It's only a mild sedative," Reinert assured. "I need you to be awake when I perform my experiment on you, but unfortunately I can't risk freeing you while being fully conscious."

Alfons fidgeted nervously. "That's not necessary," he said fast. "I don't know how to fight and I'm not very strong either."

"Don't be so humble," Reinert said, seemingly enjoying himself. "I'm sure you've learned a few tricks from your friend."

"Clearly," Edward butted in, "you're underestimating my abilities!"

Reinert gave him an indifferent stare. "You think? In my opinion I've made quite good measure concerning you."

"My body has been through a lot more than a few simple metal limb operations before," Edward bragged. "I can withstand a lot. You should really reconsider your test subject."

Alfons' jaw went slack as he gawked at Edward. Was he really trying to persuade Reinert into taking him instead?

Robert Reinert looked amused. "How interesting. You're willing to go far to protect your friend, aren't you?"

"I'll do it willingly," Edward said. "I'll even let you experiment on my prosthetics as much as you want. Hell, write a fucking movie about me, I'll play the part myself!"

Reinert cackled out in laughter like the mad scientist he turned out to be. "Very interesting! You amuse me. I had planned to kill you, but now… now I'm reconsidering. Hmm, I'll consider it, boy. But unfortunately, it won't change the fact that I choose Alfons Heiderich for now."

Edward tensed up again and glowered at him. "Bastard, I only said I'd do it if you leave him alone. Because if you _do_ choose to go ahead with this, I will _kill _you."

"This is very entertaining." Reinert grinned wickedly, and Alfons tried desperately to twist his hands out of the tight nooses, like he had been trying to do the last minute while Edward kept Reinert occupied. But it was still futile. His shoulders sank and he sent Edward an expression of gratitude. He was willing to take his place to save him. He'd never forget it.

Beside him Reinert coated his handkerchief with a small amount of colourless liquid.

"Alfons!" Edward shouted, just as the man pressed the cloth against Alfons' mouth and nose, limiting his breathing.

Alfons twitched and muffled out a small cry. His vision started swimming and all he could hear was the incomprehensible nonsense of drowned voices as his sluggish mind became unable to translate what all the sounds meant. He lost his consciousness for a while, although it couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes.

When he came to he had already been strapped down on the table with his shirt removed. Alfons stared hazily up in the ceiling and tried to keep his eyes focused. His eyes kept betraying him and wanted to close. Sleep.

"This might hurt a little, but when you're done you won't be able to feel pain the same way as other humans." Robert Reinert stood over him, speaking with a gentle voice, like he was a doctor. The man connected some wires to his chest and his temples which led to the strange machine. "Like Mr. Rippert, your nervous system will decrease in function so you won't feel pain unless it's a fatal injury."

Alfons tried to move his arms, but they were strapped tightly down by his sides with belts, and so were his legs and stomach.

"Just keep still, my friend. It will be over in a second. When you're done you'll feel much better." More wires were added to the insides of his elbows.

The drug was finally starting to wear off. Alfons blinked against the sharp light in the ceiling and twisted his head to both sides. His head was the only part of his own body he could move. Then his ears caught the sound of Edward's voice, and he immediately became more aware.

"Let him go, you fucking bastard!" Edward shouted. "When I get off this chair, I'll punch you until you can no longer see in colours!"

Robert Reinert simply ignored him, and Alfons felt a cold sensation of alcohol on a cotton ball rubbing gently against his arm.

Alfons took a deep breath, feeling his own heart rate increasing in his chest. _Don't panic, don't panic!_

"Why are you doing this?" he managed. "Nothing good will come out of it. When we first met, you talked about how you wanted to prevent movies from being misused by politically influencing people's minds. But then you act unethically yourself by turning Mr. Rippert into this?"

"The question why is indeed relevant," Robert Reinert agreed with hint of mirth dancing in his tone. "To make people see the world in a panoramic view, I will make them see things they have never seen before. I'm turning you into a superhuman. Just imagine the possibilities of a discovery like that. I will take you with me on a journey to America, where I will make vast amounts of money in a currency that is actually worth a damn. The movie industry is in advanced development over there. I'll use you in my movies and make fortunes from your special abilities visualized on the screen." Robert Reinert leaned closer, his wicked smile plastered on his lips. "That's why it's important that you keep your looks in the process. People like watching pretty monsters."

"You're a sick bastard!" Edward griped out loud. "What are those wires anyway? I thought you only injected that shit into Otto Rippert, no more."

Robert Reinert scoffed. "You're right about that. This procedure is quite different. What've injected into Mr. Rippert has only a temporary function."

"Temporary?" Alfons repeated fast. "You mean he'll turn back to normal again?"

"Yes, although I don't know how long it will take," Reinert said. "His spleen will eventually clean out the unfamiliar cells of his blood, and then get rid of it."

Edward felt slightly relieved. This injection wasn't invincible after all. "Then, it will be temporary on Alfons too?"

Reinert turned to him and grinned. "No. Look at the floor by my feet, alchemist."

Edward's eyes widened and his gaze shot down to the place where Reinert and Alfons' table were standing. He wanted to rub his eyes in disbelief, but he couldn't.

It was a transmutation circle. He hadn't even noticed it before now. The array evolved all the way around the table and the machine, with Alfons in the centre.

"What's this?" Edward muttered. "Are you going to perform some weird occult ritual?"

Robert Reinert laughed out. "The power from your world can also be used here, with the right sources. Everyone thinks the art of alchemy is lost to this world, but they're wrong." He pointed at the wires connected to Alfons' body. "These wires use Mr. Heiderich's life source and power the alchemic circle and will be combined with the blood from the serpent-like homunculus, which works as fuel for this machine. It will create enough energy to activate the circle and turn Alfons into a permanent homunculus."

"No way..." Edward whispered.

Alfons started to get really freaked out by all this. He tugged nervously at his straps restraining his arms and legs.

"Don't worry about his life span," Robert Reinert continued lightly. "Even if I use a bit of it for my magic, turning him into a homunculus will make him close to immortal. Isn't that amazing?"

"There's no guarantee that it will work!" Edward shouted. "Stop it!"

Robert Reinert turned back to Alfons. "Enough talk. Let's find out instead." He advanced and placed a hand on Alfons' damp forehead, as to calm him. "First, I'll inject you with the solution. It might not feel comfortable at first, but your body will adjust to it eventually. Then I will activate the machine and the circle, and make your body permanent like that. All you have to do is relax. Is that understood?"

Alfons shook his head. "No... Don't do this."

But naturally, the man didn't listen to him. He lowered his hand with the needle ready, pressing the sharp tip against his arm.

"Alfons!" Edward shouted. "ALFONS, _NO!_"

The needle sank into his vein, and Alfons pressed his eyes shut as the crimson mixture forcibly pervaded into him.

"There," Robert Reinert whispered. "Don't fight it, or it'll only hurt more."

Alfons trembled, his lips parting to scream, but not a sound came out. His voice seemed to have become stuck in his throat, while a burning sensation reached his brain from his arm. His large crystal blue eyes widened to their full size, his corneas filling with fully visible red veins.

Pressure. That was all he felt. Everything in his body seemed to be pressing at his inner walls. His organs, his muscles, his veins. Blood was pounding in his ears and decreased his hearing like he was under water.

Every muscle in his body tensed sharply in the restraints and felt like they just kept swelling, growing on the inside and threatened to rip him apart. His heart beat a million times a second, his pulse throbbing rigidly and visibly at his neck. At that point he was screaming, although he didn't realize it. The pain was like knifes twisting their way outwards from the inside, like torture. His body arched mindlessly upwards in the mist of agony, but his restraints held him down. He had no idea how long it took, before his nervous system seemed to shut down, and if it still hurt he couldn't feel it anymore.

His body stilled on the table, his heart rate decreasing fast into a more normal speed, and he could only breathe rapidly, like he couldn't get enough air into his craving lungs.

"Good boy," Robert Reinert whispered. "Do you hear my voice? It's the only voice you'll need to concentrate yourself on. No one else's. You will do as I tell you to, and everything will be alright."

His brain felt like it was pulsing in his head. His eyes were open, but he couldn't see. Couldn't focus. The voice somehow had a calming effect. He could understand the words. Alfons twisted his head in the direction where the words had come from. Robert Reinert stood there, stroking over his hair like he had just made himself a new pet. It was a gentle, comforting touch. Alfons blinked again and gazed emptily up at him.

"Yes, that's right," Robert Reinert said. "You're almost done now."

Meanwhile, Edward was struggling fiercely on his chair. "God...damned...plastic!" he uttered through gritted teeth. That madman had actually injected that shit into Alfons' arm. This would soon be completely irreversible if he didn't do anything!

Robert Reinert stepped out of the alchemy circle. "Watch now, alchemist, how alchemy can be performed in this world as well. You'll be amazed."

Edward gasped out as Robert Reinert turned the machine on, powered it, and it made a loading sound until a point where Alfons' body jumped abruptly in his restrains, like he had received a sharp electrical shock. Red sparkles as lightning were brightening up the room like glistening fire, making the circle glow vibrantly around Alfons.

The sight was... nostalgic.

"No!" Edward twisted around on the chair while memories of his little brother losing his entire body to the Gate in the similar glow of bright light visualized itself in his frantic mind, and he couldn't let anything happen to Alfons! Suddenly he felt a shadow cast over him and he whipped around to see Mr. Rippert standing behind him, his features spattered with his own blood. Edward froze, and met the man's glassy eyes. Though, he felt like they were more expressive now than earlier.

Then Mr. Rippert suddenly lifted a knife and cut over Edward's bonds, freeing him from the chair. Edward didn't waste a second wondering why. He jumped up and sprinted towards the machine which contained Envy's blood as fuel. He knew only one thing he could do.

With a well-rehearsed side kick, he hit the machine hard on its side, making it flip over and crash loudly to the floor. Immediately the transmutation circle died down.

Edward breathed out a little rapidly. "Combining alchemy with machinery... How fake." Although, he wondered if he had been too late. But he didn't have time to check upon Alfons yet.

Robert Reinert glowered at him with rage in his small eyes. "You little devil. You will pay for destroying my experiment!"

"You're simply destroying _yourself_ by going this far, you bastard," Edward spat. "When the police find out about this, it'll be the end of you and your madness."

Robert Reinert made a sudden move towards the tranquilizer gun that had at some point dropped to the floor, but Edward was faster. He leaped forward and crushed the thing beneath his metal foot.

Reinert stopped, snorting nonchalantly. "Do you think you can stop me? It's not that simple."

"I'll goddamn try nonetheless," Edward stated sternly.

"Have you forgotten already?" Reinert sniggered. He looked so different from Dr. Marcoh when doing that, Edward didn't even feel directly bothered by their similar physical appearance. "Even if I can't make any more permanent homunculi for now, that doesn't change the fact that I've made Alfons obey me."

"He'll never do that," Edward hissed.

"Want to bet?" Reinert sneered. He stepped unflappably passed Edward, who turned around cautiously as he passed by, until he reached the table where Alfons now lay still. Reinert stopped by his side and removed the wires from his body. "Time to wake up, Alfons," he called gently.

Alfons' eyes opened suddenly.

"You remember me, don't you? I'm your new family." Robert Reinert unfastened all his restraints, starting with his legs and arms, and at last the one around his stomach. "Stand up and try out your new body."

Alfons sat up slowly, his sharp eyes scanning the laboratory warily.

"Alfons?" Edward called out, feeling slightly anxious. At least Alfons looked normal. He didn't have deformed features or serpent-like scale-skin like Otto Rippert.

"Are you okay?" he tried again. To his disturbance, Alfons made no notion to have even heard his voice.

Alfons put his feet down on the floor and stood up in full height, scanning the ceiling where the sharp light was glowing down on him.

"There you go," Robert Reinert said slowly, gently touching his shoulder. "You're free now. You're stronger, and better. Do you feel that?"

Alfons didn't make any vocal reply, but stared down at his hands, like he was investigating if they were different. If they were stronger.

"Get your hands off him," Edward snarled and advanced.

Reinert glowered at Edward. "I'm sorry, Edward. You're going to have to say good bye to your friend. He's mine now, my little pet." He patted Alfons on the head. "He does seem more intelligent than Mr. Rippert, doesn't he? But it seems you can't talk yet, right Alfons? Don't worry, I will teach you."

Edward flashed his teeth and gnarled in anger. "I said, get your filthy hands off him, you insane bastard!" Anytime now, he would attack with the intention to kill.

"Now, now," Reinert crooned. "If you don't realize it yet, let us do a test to see who he obeys more. Alfons, that blond midget is very troublesome, isn't he? He wants to hurt us. He deserves to be punished, doesn't he?"

Alfons looked up from his hands and turned towards Edward. His face had never been more expressionless, and Edward started to get really anxious.

"Alfons..." _Don't you recognize me?_

Robert Reinert grinned. "Kill him."

Alfons didn't even hesitate. He leaped forward with great speed, straight for Edward's throat. For a second Edward stood there, frozen in shock, seeing Alfons heading for him in a speed that made every other movement in the basement turn into slow motion. Then he snapped out of it with a short gasp, and dodged by curving backwards, catching himself with his hands before he hit the floor, and then quickly pushing himself around in a backwards somersault. He rolled back onto his feet as Alfons charged straight on again.

"Alfons! Stop, it's me!" Edward shouted, just as his comrade let his fist swing into a punch that could have killed if it had hit. He didn't seem to recognize him at all! Edward tried to think, as the blows fell like rain, barely being able to avert the more damaging ones and withstand the smaller ones.

Somehow Alfons had become an expert on coordinating his moves, and attacked at every possible spot Edward couldn't manage to defend at the same time as defending himself everywhere else.

Edward ducked under another swing, and shot out his leg into a side kick to Alfons' stomach, just enough to make him slow down. But to his horror, his attacks had the same effect as with Otto Rippert. Alfons didn't even sense it.

"I never thought you'd surpass me in sparring," Edward crooned out as he dodged another attack of Alfons' strong arm. "You would never let me forget it if you knew!"

Alfons seemed completely oblivious to the words.

No matter how rapid and sharp Edward was, no matter how much he tried to make a surprising move, Alfons followed him effortlessly, targeting him with hollow eyes.

After a while Edward hit a table with the small of his back, breathing sharply and swallowing hard while trying to get an idea. His right eye was swollen and his nose bleeding, his left arm had been cut up slightly sometime during the fight without him even noticing.

If the alchemy transmutation had really failed, Alfons would turn back to normal eventually. But how long would that take? Would he have to fight him in an endless battle for days until that happened? Or worse, if Edward was unlucky enough and got killed?

He jerked quickly to the side as Alfons' hand slammed down, breaking the entire table in two.

"Shit," Edward breathed. "Stop doing reckless things like that or you'll hurt yourself!"

Alfons chased after him, and this time Edward didn't find anything better to do than to just run. From behind him Robert Reinert was chortling out wicked laughter. "I told you, boy! You can't do anything the way it is now. He'll kill you before he knows what he has done. Then he will have no other choice but to come with me to the States. I'll find another way to make his state a permanent one."

Edward reached a dead end and stopped abruptly in front of the innermost wall of the room. He was trapped. He turned around and stared intently at his comrade, straight into his vacant eyes.

"Goddammit, Alfons," Edward grit out. "I know you're still in there. Pull yourself together!"

Alfons caught his throat and squeezed, making Edward choke on his own breath before he could say more. His back got pressed into the wall, and his eyes clamped shut. He couldn't believe that this was happening. His Alfons. His best friend. His _only_ friend—had been turned against him. And there was nothing he could do. He cursed inwardly and opened his eyes again.

Alfons simply stood there, cold and stiff. Frozen into the deadly stance.

Edward refused to give up. This wasn't Alfons. He had to get him back somehow.

"You know I don't like being a sap," Edward rasped out, wondering if he managed to utter the words coherently at all. His lungs were screaming and hurting. "But I can't lose you." It took him great effort to continue. "You're the only one I have… and I won't let you kill me… I love you, for fuck's sake." With the last of his strength, he lifted his legs and shot them forward as hard as he could, in the middle of Alfons' gut. It was a kick that would make a normal human pass out or worse.

Alfons let go of him and stumbled back, looking a little confused. Edward took a couple of sharp breaths before he acted again, and tackled Alfons right to the floor on his back, pinning his arms.

Hollow, crystal eyes stared impassively up at him, and Edward knew he wouldn't be able to hold him down for long. Both Robert Reinert and Otto Rippert were watching them from a safe distance, but right now he was desperate.

"Hell with it all," Edward muttered. Then he curved down and caught Alfons' lips with his in a deep and ardent kiss.

_Remember it. Remember me. Think of me._

Alfons stiffened in his grip, seeming confused of what he was doing and responded only passively to the treatment. Still, Edward refused to stop.

"Ah, so you had secrets of that calibre as well?" Robert Reinert said in a mocking voice. "No matter what you try to do, it's futile. Didn't I tell you? A homunculus is merely an imitation of a human being, unable to love and without caring feelings of other humans. _A Homunculus doesn't feel love._"

Edward refused to listen to him. Alfons' lips were warm and soft like always. Despite of being inattentive, he didn't fight him off either.

Robert Reinert started to lose his patience. He addressed the man in the form of a monster standing a couple of meters away. "Mr. Rippert. Please remove Mr. Elric from my new creation, if you please." But to his even bigger annoyance, Mr. Rippert didn't move. "Do as I say, you dumb monkey!" he groused.

Mr. Rippert turned to him with a low grunt. Then he advanced slowly towards the man with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Wait a minute!" Reinert uttered nervously. "What do you think you're doing? Stop there immediately. Have you forgotten who I am?"

Mr. Rippert kept approaching him, and Reinert started backing off.

"I will not tolerate this behaviour!" Reinert warned. But his anxiety probably reeked off of him, filling Mr. Rippert's sharp nostrils with his fear. Then he realized that the blood in Mr. Rippert's body had already started changing and giving him back more of his rational senses again.

Edward didn't know what was going on between the two men, and ignored the shouting coming from Robert Reinert, and the sounds of furniture breaking and glass shattering further away.

He parted his lips slowly from Alfons', afraid that nothing would be changed about him. That he would start attacking him again the second he stopped. But Alfons had closed his eyes, and lied still on the floor.

"Alfons?" Edward tried. "Can you hear me?"

Alfons' blue eyes opened again, very slowly. He blinked at the light attacking his irises and moseyed up at Edward, his breathing uneven and shaky. "Edward...?"

Edward could've died of relief. Alfons recognized him... "You bastard!" he grated. "How dare you scare me like that!" He rose to his feet and reached a hand down at his comrade to help him up.

Alfons accepted the hand slowly and let him support him back up to his feet. His body was shaky and felt tired and he almost doubled over, feeling slightly beat up everywhere. He dizzily lifted his shaking hand and touched his temple. "My head... what the hell happened?"

Edward sighed deeply. "You might be better off not remembering..."

They heard a loud crash to their left, and they both turned sharply in the direction of the loud noise. They could only partly see Robert Reinert where he lay underneath a large heap of destroyed tables and the machine in pieces, almost covering the entire alchemy circle on the floor.

Otto Rippert was already on his way back up the ladder and disappeared out the door above. Alfons took a quick step forward. "He's getting away!"

Edward quickly held him back by the arm. "It's okay. He won't hurt anyone. I think he'll get back to his real senses very soon."

Alfons sighed. "Oh, that's good..."

"So," Edward started, staring him up and down. "Are you... feeling alright?"

"I'm fine... I think," Alfons said slowly. "Tell me... he didn't turn me into a homunculus, did he?"

Edward laughed nervously. "He might have... There's only one way to find out."

Alfons swallowed. "And what's that?"

Edward reached out his hand. "Arm-wrestle with me."

"What? Now?"

"Of course! If you beat me, you're a homunculus, but if I win, you've turned back to normal."

Alfons crossed his arms. "What if I'm normal and beat you nonetheless?"

"That's not possible!"

Alfons mumbled. "Alright then."

They took a stance by a table which wasn't yet broken and decided to arm-wrestle with their left-hands, since Edward's prosthetic would hardly be fair either way.

With their elbows resting on the table and their palms attached, Edward said: "Okay, one, two, go!"

Alfons pressed at Edward's arm as hard as he could, but hadn't even been doing it for more than two seconds before Edward snorted a short laugh, and then beat him.

Alfons glowered at their hands for a second, and then stood up. "How is that possible?"

Edward grinned at him, full of relief, but didn't want to show it too much. He considered never telling Alfons that he had more or less beaten him up earlier. "I think I know the reason why. Robert Reinert mixed Envy's blood with Mr. Rippert's before he injected it into you. What he wasn't aware of at the time, was that Mr. Rippert's blood had started to get cleaned out and was therefore pretty weak already. It might have been more human blood in the solution than the homunculus', which means it would take a shorter amount of time before you got your senses back."

"I see," Alfons said slowly. His hands were still shaking, and Edward took his right hand gently in his metal one and smiled softly. "The human body is quite amazing."

"Yeah..." Alfons agreed silently. He looked down on Edward's metallic hand, squeezing it in his pale and trembling one. Even if he couldn't remember anything since he had been strapped to the table, he still hadn't forgotten about certain other details.

"Now what?" he asked quietly. "What are we going to do about this homunculus being in the hands of that Thule Society organization?" He was afraid this wild goose chase would never end. He was pretty much fed up for now.

"Thule Society is indeed troublesome, yes," Edward muttered. "But," he smiled. "I guess I'll take care of that some other time. I'm just happy you didn't turn into a permanent freak..."

"Thanks," Alfons said dryly. Although, he really _was_ grateful.

--

The following night he could finally lay down to rest next to his treasured ponytailed wonder, and let him lie on his chest and be his cover while Edward was listening to his heart's rhythmic beating.

The last of the circumstances had worked out. The police had taken care of Robert Reinert, and Edward was no longer under suspicion.

Alfons could vaguely remember the words Edward had told him in the basement when they were lying on the cold floor, his mind hazed with emotions unfamiliar to him, and the words had triggered something in his mind that had helped him lull himself back to his senses.

"_You're the only one I have… and I won't let you kill me… I love you, for fuck's sake."_

Considerably romantic for Edward, he surmised. Mission accomplished.

"I love you too," Alfons murmured softly.

Edward shifted on top of him and stared at him with questioning eyes. "Alfons... the next time you want to go out on a movie date with me, let's pick a comedy."

"That's perfectly fine with me," he agreed.

Alfons nestled his nose into Edward's soft locks, and in the mist of drowsiness he figured he would never need that extra physical strength anyway, as long as Edward would be there to strengthen his very soul with emotions of such value. Until their next big adventure, that would preserve keeping him at ease.

--

The End.


End file.
